Jun 10, 2026 Board Meeting

[3. Open Session - 5:30 p.m.]

[00:00:05]

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. WE HAVE A PACKED ROOM, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE. I WOULD LIKE TO RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.

TODAY IS JUNE 10TH, 2026, AND THIS IS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING FOR CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND. MS. METCALF, WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? I PLEDGE THE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

AND MR. DAVIS, WOULD YOU DO THE BOARD REFLECTION FOR US? ABSOLUTELY SORRY. SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU THAT EARLIER.

THE MISSION OF THE CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS TO SERVE EQUITABLY THROUGH POSITIVE RELATIONS RELATIONSHIPS AS A SAFE, COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY. WE WILL ENSURE ALL LEARNERS ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND QUALITIES TO BE RESPONSIBLE, CARING, AND ETHICAL CITIZENS.

THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS.

NEXT IS THE ADOPTION OF OUR AGENDA. WE DID SWITCH OUR AGENDA UP. WE ARE TAKING 3.06 AND MOVING IT BEFORE 3.05. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THE OUTGOING OF OUR STUDENT MEMBER BOARD BEFORE WE DO OUR SPORTS AWARDS.

SO, THAT IS THE AGENDA NOW.

SO WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPT THE MEETING AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, MOTION CARRIES. SO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW IS I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MISS ADDISON METCALF, OUR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. SHE HAS BEEN OUR MEMBER OF THE BOARD FOR 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR, AND SHE HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB REPRESENTING HER STUDENTS AND GETTING MORE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. SHE WILL BE LEAVING US TO ATTEND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR HER. SHE IS AN INTELLIGENT AND KIND PERSON, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO GET, TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BIT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ANY WORDS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO ADDISON.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I WOULD DEFINITELY. SO ADDISON, I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF GOING INTO YOUR FOLDER, AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDISON IN FIRST GRADE. AND I'M PRETTY SURE WITH THAT SMILE, SHE PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF HER TEETH.

BUT THAT'S OKAY, THEY CAME IN.

YEAH, EXACTLY. WAS THAT A GOOD IDEA? I SAID, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

I'M GONNA DO THAT.

I SAID, I'M GONNA DO THAT.

I CALLED MR. MOREAU, LOOK, GO INTO HER FOLDER, FIND ME A PICTURE. ADDISON, PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW YOU, AND I GUESS MANY IN THE ROOM DON'T, YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE CAME IN TO INTERVIEW TO BE A STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD, I GUESS IT WAS LAST APRIL, APRIL OF '25. SHE CAME IN AND IT'S JUST LIKE THIS, AND THEN THE CANDIDATES COME IN AND THEY SIT AT THAT TABLE, AND THE BOARD I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH ROLE, I JUST WATCH THE CANDIDATES ARE ASKED QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD MEMBERS. AND SHE PRESENTED, LIKE, I HAD A HARD TIME HEARING HER, AND I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOT BIG, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED. I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, SHE'S THIS LITTLE MEEK KIND OF THING, AND WHEN YOU GET TO KNOW HER, THE GIRL IS STRAIGHT OUT FIRE. SHE IS JUST STRAIGHT OUT FIRE. SHE IS SMART. SHE'S ARTICULATE.

SHE'S HEADING TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE WANTS TO STUDY PRE-LAW TO BE AN ATTORNEY. WOULD BE PERFECT FOR HER. AND I'M PROUD OF YOU, THE STUFF YOU'VE DONE WITH HAVING YOUR OWN LITTLE STUDENT MEMBER GROUP ADVISORY BOARD. I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SET A PRACTICE THERE THAT HOPEFULLY YOUR SUCCESSOR ISAIAH WILL, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW. IT'S GOOD PRACTICE.

BUT WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED FOR YOUR FUTURE AND JUST PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU.

SO THANK YOU.

MADISON.

IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, YOU CAN. IF NOT, WE HAVE, I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO SAY SOMETHING.

THIS IS LIKE, I THINK, THE THIRD TIME I'VE SAID STUFF TO YOU WITH THE CORDS LAST TIME, AND THEN AT THE SENIOR AWARDS WE PRESENTED HER WITH A SCHOLARSHIP. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT OUR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD GOT A SCHOLARSHIP, SO THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING.

JUST LIKE DR. LAWSON SAID, HER INITIATIVE YOU, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU, NOT THEM YOUR INITIATIVE AND YOUR DRIVE, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO START NEW THINGS IS JUST REALLY COMMENDABLE. AND THE MOM IN ME IS A LITTLE CONCERNED SOMETIMES FOR HER THIS YEAR BECAUSE I'M LIKE, YOU HAVE SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE, SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE EXTRACURRICULARS, PRETTY RIGOROUS SCHOOL SCHEDULE. DOING THIS, WANTING TO GO I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OUR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD ASKED

[00:05:01]

WE'VE DIMMED THE LIGHTS A LITTLE BIT SO YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE BETTER.

THERE WE GO.

ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TAKE OUT YOUR PHONE AND GRAB A PIC, GO AHEAD.

BUT IT'S LIKE, AS PARENTS, AND THE PARENTS IN THE ROOM, YOU WORRY THAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING TOO MUCH SOMETIMES, RIGHT? AND THIS GIRL JUST HANDLES IT ALL WITH EASE AND GRACE. AND I KNOW I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF YOU, ADDISON, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THIS LITTLE FIRECRACKER IS GOING TO DO NEXT. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

SO WHEN YOU CAME IN, I SAID FIRST THING WAS, I GRADUATED FROM RISING SUN WITH YOUR PARENTS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS THIS LOOK OF CONCERN ON YOUR FACE THAT I KNEW YOUR PARENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THEY WERE AMAZING PEOPLE. I WAS NEIGHBORS WITH YOUR MOM, LOVED LIVING DOWN THE ROAD FROM HER. AND THEN YOU CAME IN AND IMMEDIATELY I WAS LIKE, WANTED YOU AS A STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. A, BECAUSE YOU'RE A RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND I'M A RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL GRAD, SO I WAS LIKE, THAT'S COOL.

AND THEN B, BECAUSE YOU JUST HAD A GREAT PERSONALITY. YOU JUST WERE YOU YOU WERE TO THE POINT, YOU HAD A LOT OF GREAT THINGS TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KEPT ME ENTERTAINED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH YOUR NAILS AND THE CHANGINGS OF YOUR NAILS AND KEPT ME PRETTY DISTRACTED DURING OUR BOARD MEETINGS.

YOU JUST ALWAYS BROUGHT A LOT TO THE TEAM, WAY MORE WELL-SPOKEN THAN I COULD EVER BE AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE AND JUST FUN AND EXCITING TO BE AROUND. AND SO I CONGRATULATE YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE ON YOUR GETTING ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY YOU WANTED TO GET ACCEPTED TO AND I KNOW YOUR PARENTS ARE REALLY PROUD, AND THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE YOU'RE AWESOME.

I WON'T KEEP YOU VERY LONG, AND I'M NOT GOING TO EMBARRASS YOU, BUT I JUST I ADMIRE THE CALM, YOUR CALM DEMEANOR, AND THE VALUE YOU BROUGHT TO THE BOARD MEETINGS AND OUR SORRY, TO OUR MEETINGS. YOU ALWAYS HAD GOOD INPUT, AND IT WAS NICE TO HEAR THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE. SO BEST WISHES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY.

I'M CHEERING FOR YOU.

AND I'LL TRY NOT TO BELABOR THE POINT, ADDISON, BUT I'M JUST SAYING YOU'RE A VERY IMPRESSIVE INDIVIDUAL. AND LIKE I SAY, JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW SMALL PACKAGES DEFINITELY HAVE BIG PERSONALITIES INSIDE OF THEM.

AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK GOING FORWARD.

OKAY, WE'LL GO ON AND WE'LL SAVE THAT INTRODUCTION TILL WE DO OUR BOARD REPORTS.

OKAY, SO YOU'RE EVERYBODY'S GONNA NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE FOR NOW. OKAY, SO NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR SPRING ATHLETIC AWARDS. AND MISS AMY SEXTON WILL COME UP AND DO OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR.

LAWSON, LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.

IT'S AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TONIGHT AS WE CELEBRATE OUR SPRING ATHLETIC PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTY. WE HAD A FANTASTIC SPRING SEASON WITH SO MANY IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE RIGHT NOW. WE HAD 6 STATE CHAMPIONS, THE MOST WE'VE EVER HAD IN ONE SEASON, 14 REGIONAL CHAMPIONS, EITHER TEAMS OR INDIVIDUALS, AND 8 SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS.

RISING SUN BOYS TRACK AND

[00:10:01]

PERRYVILLE BASEBALL HAD THEIR FIRST COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 25 YEARS AND FIRST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND STATE SEMIFINAL APPEARANCE IN 47 YEARS. ELKIN GIRLS LACROSSE AND, AND RISING SUN BOYS LACROSSE BOTH MADE IT TO THE STATE SEMIFINALS.

AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE KARA PENNINGTON FOR WINNING 4 GOLD MEDALS AT THE PARA SWIMMING YOUTH WORLD SERIES IN FRANCE IN MAY. SHE WON THE GOLD IN THE 50-METER FREESTYLE, 100-METER FREESTYLE, 100-METER BACKSTROKE, AND THE 400-METER FREESTYLE.

ON MAY 7TH, CECIL COUNTY EXECUTIVE ADAM STRAIT VISITED ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL AND PRESENTED KARA WITH A PROCLAMATION DECLARING MAY 7TH AS KARA PENNINGTON DAY IN CECIL COUNTY.

AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE KARA FOR HER ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WISH HER LUCK NEXT YEAR.

KARA WILL BE ATTENDING LOYOLA UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL AND WILL CONTINUE HER EDUCATION AND HER SWIMMING CAREER. KARA PENNINGTON.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL BE RECOGNIZING OUR STATE WINNERS. BOTH ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL AND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL WON GOLD MEDALS AT THE STATE UNIFIED BOCCE TOURNAMENT, SO THEY WERE CROWNED CO-CHAMPIONS FOR THE STATE AT WASHINGTON COLLEGE.

AT THIS TIME, IAS ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL BOCCE TEAM ATHLETES TYLER JACKSON, HALEY JACKSON, JACK CARGILL, VALERIE WARD, RILEY BAGINSKI, AND JAMIE GRIFFIN TO COME FORWARD.

COACH JEN AMMA AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JEFFERS BROWN.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

FROM NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL BOCCE TEAM, PLEASE COME FORWARD RILEY OWENS, ANDERS IVERSON, TYLER BELMERE, DESTINY JOHNSON, AND ARILYN GILBERT. COACH BRIAN RICHARDSON, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GINA PUCCI, AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MATT HACK.

CONGRATULATIONS!

[00:15:54]

YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE ALL 3 TRACK STARS AS THEY WON STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DURING THE INDOOR TRACK SEASON.

FIRST, FROM ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL, FRESHMAN BROOKLYN SMITH, THE STATE 2A GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD 100-METER CHAMPION.

SMITH BURST YOU CAN COME ON UP. SMITH BURST INTO THE SCENE IN HER SECOND HIGH SCHOOL SEASON AND IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED HERSELF AS ONE OF THE COUNTY'S BRIGHTEST YOUNG STARS AS A FRESHMAN.

BROOKLYN POSTED A TIME OF 12.14 SECONDS, WHICH WAS A PERSONAL BEST AND EARNED HER A STATE TITLE. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR BROOKLYN AND ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. AT THIS TIME, BROOKLYN, COACH, I'M SORRY, AD MATT FEENEY, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JEFFERS-BROWN, TO COME FORWARD.

THE CERTIFICATE IS A WELL-DESERVED HONOR. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU THE MARYLAND STATE CLASS 2A GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD 100-METER CHAMPION.

FROM BOHEMIA MANOR HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR KENAI BLACK, THE STATE 1A BOYS TRACK AND FIELD 800-METER, 1600-METER, AND 3200-METER STATE CHAMPION.

HIS SEASON WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS AND A STRING OF ELITE PERFORMANCES, INCLUDING A TIME TIME OF 1 MINUTE 56.74 SECONDS IN THE 800 METER, 4 MINUTES 21.25 SECONDS IN THE 1600 METER, AND 9 MINUTES 32.43 SECONDS IN THE 3200 METER. WEEK AFTER WEEK, BLACK GAVE THE EAGLES A DEPENDABLE STAR WHO COULD DOMINATE MULTIPLE EVENTS AND FINISH HIS CAREER IN UNFORGETTABLE FASHION.

BEST OF LUCK NEXT YEAR WHERE HE WILL CONTINUE HIS CAREER AT WILMINGTON UNIVERSITY.

IF COACH EVAN COHEN AND NICK HANAFY, AD JOE GRAFF COULD COME FORWARD.

THE CERTIFICATE IS A WELL-DESERVED HONOR. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU THE MARYLAND STATE CLASS 1A BOYS TRACK AND FIELD 800-METER, 1600-METER, AND 3200-METER STATE CHAMPION.

[00:20:13]

BRYSON SHOWED UP ON THE BIGGEST STAGE AND DELIVERED A CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE FOR THE PANTHERS. HIS PRELIM TIME WAS 15.6 SECONDS AND HIS FINAL TIME WAS 14.73 SECONDS, 0.26 SECONDS FASTER THAN THAN HIS COMPETITION TO WIN A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING HIM NEXT YEAR IN THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TRACK SEASON. AT THIS TIME, IF COACH MORGAN, AD ROGER CLEMENTS, AND PRINCIPAL DR.

WILLIAMS WOULD PLEASE COME FORWARD. COME ON UP, MOM AND DAD. THIS CERTIFICATE IS A WELL-DESERVED HONOR. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU THE MARYLAND STATE CLASS 1A BOYS TRACK AND FIELD 110-METER HURDLES CHAMPION. NOW WE WILL RECOGNIZE THE 2025-26 SPRING UKPEK SPORTSMANSHIP WINNERS. THIS MARKS THE 22ND YEAR WE HAVE RECOGNIZED SPORTSMANSHIP AS PART OF OUR CONFERENCE. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO 8 TEAMS FROM OUR COUNTY AND RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENT ATHLETES FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.

FIRST, FROM RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL, THE UNIFIED BOCCE TEAM. AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME UP. CHEYENNE KEENE, LELAND KIRBY, ELIJAH BOLT, KARA COPELAND, MAX LONGACRE, MICHAEL CATER, LOGAN MCNAMARA, COACH TYLER ROBERTSHAW, AD STEVE MARLIN, AND PRINCIPAL JIM MOREAU.

FROM RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL, THE GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM ATHLETES: ADA MACKEY, JILLIAN HALL, DANA CONTRERAS, CAITLIN HOLMAN, JOCELYN ZAHN. COACH MCKAY, COACH BAILEY, AD STEVE MARLIN, PRINCIPAL JIM MORELL.

[00:25:27]

CONGRATULATIONS! FROM ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM, PLAYERS PAULA DIAZ, MADDIE EASTEP, AND COACHES MACKENZIE BARTON AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JEFFERS BROWN.

CONGRATS! BOW MANOR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE TEAM. PLAYERS: TREVOR COX, ALEX MULVILLE.

COACHES: MARIO GANGEMI, AND RICKY COX, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JOE GRAFF.

CONGRATULATIONS! NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL

[00:30:01]

COACH LARRY STAFFORD, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MATT HACK, AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL GINA PUCCI.

PERRYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL TEAM. WE HAVE COACH BARKER, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ROGER CLEMENTS, AND PRINCIPAL DR.

KIM WILLIAMS. CONGRATULATIONS! AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM. WE HAVE PLAYERS RILEY GEARY, SAGE TURIAN, JUSTIN TEAGUE. COACH STEVEN VOGEL. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR NOT HERE.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JEFFERS BROWN.

CONGRATULATIONS! THANK YOU.

YES.

[00:35:15]

MISS METCALF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, THOSE OF YOU WHO STAYED. SINCE THIS IS MY LAST BOARD MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT ON MY TERM AS STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO EXPRESS HOW INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL AND HAPPY I AM TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS EXPERIENCE. I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE DONE THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL. BEING SMOB IS SOMETHING I DEFINITELY DID NOT SEE MYSELF DOING MY FRESHMAN YEAR, BUT I'M I'M REALLY GLAD THAT DURING MY JUNIOR YEAR I LEARNED MORE ABOUT WHAT THE ROLE IS AND I DECIDED TO APPLY. THIS EXPERIENCE INTRODUCED ME TO SO MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND IT TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT CREATING RELATIONSHIPS AND ADVOCACY, AND IT ALLOWED ME TO USE MY VOICE FOR OTHERS.

I'D LIKE TO THANK DR.

LAWSON, MISS OLSON, AND EVERY BOARD MEMBER AND LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT MY TERM. I COULD NOT HAVE PURSUED MY GOALS IN THIS ROLE WITHOUT YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THAT. SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. FOY AND MS. HAWLEY FOR HELPING ME SET UP THE SMOB ADVISORY COUNCIL. WHETHER IT WAS HELPING ME GET OUT EMAILS OR STARTING MEETINGS, YOU BOTH WERE THERE WHEN I NEEDED GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT. SO THANK YOU. AND FINAL THANKS, MR. MARLIN, WHO IS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT HE WAS MY 10TH GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER AND ALSO OUR STUDENT COUNCIL TEACHER ADVISOR FOR MY FIRST FOR UNTIL THIS YEAR. HE NOT ONLY WROTE MY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND COLLEGE, BUT HE WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL IN HELPING ME LEARN HOW TO BE A LEADER AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF HIS SUPPORT AND HE WAS YEAH, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HIM.

THANK YOU. SO TONIGHT WE HAVE OUR NEXT SMOB HERE, ISAIAH JOHNSON, WHO IS A RISING SENIOR AT PERRYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL.

CONGRATULATIONS. I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT YOU'LL BE AMAZING IN THIS ROLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH IT. OKAY, NOW TO THE BORING STUFF. WE HAD A SMAB ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY WHERE WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE COUNCIL FROM NOW ON, WHICH ISAIAH IS GOING TO BE TAKING OVER. AND WE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL LUNCHES AND CLASS SCHEDULING, WHICH I POST DISCUSSION BOARDS ABOUT SO THAT OTHER MEMBERS CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

TWO WEEKS AGO WAS GRADUATION WEEKEND, AND I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT MY GRADUATION ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

THANK YOU, MR. FERNANDO. AND THAT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I ALSO ATTENDED CCST GRADUATION.

AND AFTER GOING TO BOTH OF THOSE, I CAN SAY THAT HAVING GRADUATION AT THE BOB CARPENTER CENTER WAS DEFINITELY A GOOD MOVE.

IT WAS THE CLIMATE OR TEMPERATURE IN THERE WAS REALLY NICE.

YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE EVERYONE. THE SOUND SYSTEM WAS GREAT. AND I THINK THAT OTHER STUDENTS DEFINITELY ENJOYED IT. SO THAT'S MY FEEDBACK ON THAT.

AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO MENTION ELECTIONS AGAIN.

THE PRIMARY IS THIS MONTH ON THE 23RD, AND EARLY VOTING STARTS TOMORROW. SO IF YOU CAN, YOU SHOULD GET OUT AND VOTE.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU.

YOU'LL GET IT NEXT MONTH, I GUESS. FIRST OF ALL, HUGE CONGRATS TO OUR GRADUATES.

I'VE ALREADY SAID SAID CONGRATS TO OUR GRADUATES AT ALL THE GRADUATIONS BUT SENIORS, YOU'RE DONE.

PROBABLY FEELS WEIRD, EXCITING BUT WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO NEXT. AND THIS IS THE LAST WEEK FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

WE'VE HAD 8TH GRADE AND 5TH GRADE MOVING UP INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL PROMOTION CEREMONIES THIS WEEK AND CONTINUING INTO THIS WEEK. HUGE MILESTONE FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. WE SAW A LOT OF THEM TONIGHT. AND JUST A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR EDUCATORS WHO HELP EACH OF THEM LEARN AND GROW IN SO MANY WAYS. AND I KNOW TONIGHT WE ARE RECOGNIZING OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

SHE'S HERE TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO JUST TAKE A SECOND AND HIGHLIGHT GABE STOLLINGS. HE IS A 2026 GRADUATE OF NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL, AND LAST MONTH WE RECOGNIZED HIM BECAUSE HE WON HE WAS THE STATE WINNER FOR THE SKILLSUSA, AND HE

[00:40:02]

BUT HE REPRESENTED MARYLAND AT THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS CONFERENCE, AND HE COMPETED FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK, AND I AM EXCITED TO REPORT THAT GABE FINISHED 8TH IN THE NATION FOR DIESEL EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION, WHICH IS JUST A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, VERY INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO HIM, AND A BIG THANK YOU TO HIS CCST TEACHER, MR. SECURO, AND THE SKILLSUSA ADVISOR, MS. ALEXANDER, FOR THEIR SUPPORT. AND THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW IT SHOWCASES THE STRENGTH OF OUR PROGRAMS AT THE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE VALUE OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS.

MS. SEXTON WAS ALSO HERE TONIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO THANK HER. I DON'T THINK SHE'S STILL HERE, BUT THANK HER FOR HER WORK.

IS SHE? WHERE? OH, YOU'RE BEING BLOCKED. SORRY, YOU'RE STILL HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN ORGANIZING THE FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS ON JUNE 4TH FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND ALSO TO CHRISTIANA CARE FOR ALL THEY DO TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN. AND TO DR. AMY OCASIO, SHE IS FROM THE LIVE FOR THOMAS FOUNDATION, AND SHE THIS YEAR HELPED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, WHICH ARE A NEW REQUIREMENT TO BE PART OF THE PHYSICALS, AND JUST REALLY VERY, VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THOSE PHYSICALS. SO, AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AS WE APPROACH THE END OF JUNE AND WE ARE SEEING A NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS, I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR RETIREES WHO'VE DEDICATED YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS AT CCPS. AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TAKE A SECOND AND RECOGNIZE DR. BUCKLEY. I TRIED NOT TO DO THIS WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, OH, I MIGHT CRY, BUT I WILL SAVE IT TO THIS.

IT REALLY IS JUST A BITTERSWEET MOMENT. DR.

BUCKLE, YOU'RE SERIOUSLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE CALMEST, MOST COMPASSIONATE, AND KINDEST LEADERS THAT I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH, AND YOU'VE JUST REALLY POURED YOUR HEART INTO THIS SYSTEM, AND IT SHOWS. THE SYSTEM, THE STAFF, THE STUDENTS, AND I JUST, I KNOW I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO TO GET TO KNOW YOU OVER THE PAST 8 YEARS. AND DR. BUCKLEY, I JUST WISH YOU A VERY FUN, WHILE YOU'RE STILL YOUNG, ADVENTUROUS, RELAXING RETIREMENT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND THAT BEAUTIFUL GRANDSON OF YOURS. AND I JUST KNOW YOUR FAMILY IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU BACK. AND WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

GOOD EVENING. LAST MONTH I REFERENCED THE AS-OF-THEN UPCOMING CAPSTONE GALLERY WALK, AND THIS YEAR'S CAPSTONE GALLERY WALK DID NOT DISAPPOINT, AND IT REMAINS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS OF THE YEAR. I SPENT A DAY AT CHARLESTOWN ELEMENTARY FOR THEIR AGRICULTURAL DAY, WHICH IS A LOT OF FUN. AND EVEN THOUGH CECIL COUNTY IS DEFINITELY A LARGE AGRICULTURAL COUNTY, IT'S IT'S A THERE'S A LOT OF CHILDREN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UP CLOSE WITH THOSE ANIMALS, SO IT'S JUST EXCITING. IT WAS FUN TO SEE THEIR EXCITEMENT AS THEY WERE UP CLOSE WITH THE DIFFERENT FARM ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SCHOOL THAT DAY. I ATTENDED A MILITARY LUNCHEON AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL WHERE MR. DOLLINGER THAT MR. DOLLINGER HOSTS TO SEND OFF NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS THAT ARE ENLISTING IN THE MILITARY. THERE WERE TWO THAT ARE GOING INTO THE MARINES, SO SEMPER FI.

ATTENDED BAINBRIDGE ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY SCHOOL STEERING COMMITTEE.

OF COURSE, WE HAD GRADUATIONS A COUPLE WEEKENDS AGO, AND YESTERDAY I ATTENDED PERRYVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL'S 8TH GRADE PROMOTION.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR COMING. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. I DID ATTEND RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. AS LEADING UP TO IT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT IT. LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT MY SPEECH WOULD BE. I WAS BACK AND FORTH. I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LOSS OF TRADITION MOVING FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE BOB CARPENTER CENTER, BUT I THOUGHT THAT THAT MIGHT SOUND MORE LIKE A DOWNER, SO I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO DO THAT AT THAT MOMENT WITH THE KIDS THERE. AND THEN I THOUGHT AT THE LAST MINUTE OF A POSSIBLE NEW TRADITION, WHICH WAS TO HAVE ADDISON SPEAK. AND WHEN I SAY LAST MINUTE, I MEAN LAST MINUTE.

SHE HAD LESS THAN A WEEK TO PREPARE FOR IT, WHICH FOR A MOMENT LIKE THAT IS A HUGE. AND SO WHILE I FUMBLED THROUGH SAYING SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS ABOUT YOU, THE FACT THAT YOU TOOK ONE WEEK TO GET READY FOR THAT, MAYBE EVEN LESS THAN A WEEK, WROTE AN AMAZING SPEECH AND REPRESENTED THE HIGH SCHOOL SO WELL, AND ON TOP OF THAT SOMEHOW MADE ME LOOK

[00:45:01]

SO IT WAS AMAZING, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU DID THAT. I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS REALLY COOL. AND NO PRESSURE ON THE REST OF YOU, BUT I THINK PERRYVILLE'S NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, BEING A STUDENT MEMBER OF IT, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO LET THEM SPEAK INSTEAD OF YOU, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY COOL IDEA. SO HOPEFULLY WE KEEP THAT TRADITION GOING BECAUSE SHE WAS AMAZING.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

JUST A FEW THINGS TO ADD. I HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING GRADUATION CEREMONIES FOR EACH OF OUR 5 HIGH SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY.

AND I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR SENIORS AND CONTINUE SUCCESS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

ADDRESSING OUR STUDENTS DURING GRADUATION CEREMONIES EACH YEAR IS ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING PARTS OF BEING A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WHO WILL BE RETURNING NEXT YEAR, PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO ENJOY YOUR SUMMER BREAK WITH THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY BECAUSE IT DOES GO BY VERY FAST, BELIEVE ME.

NEXT FRIDAY ON JUNE 19TH, WE CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, THE DAY FEDERAL TROOPS ARRIVED IN GALVESTON, TEXAS TO ANNOUNCE THE LAST ENSLAVED BLACK AMERICANS WERE FREE.

JUNETEENTH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW AND BECAME AN OFFICIAL FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN 2021.

JUST A FEW ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO ADD. I JUST WANT TO ONCE AGAIN THANK OUR OUTGOING STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD, ADDISON METCALF, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CCPS. YOU WERE INDEED A PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE AND BROUGHT A LOT TO OUR BOARD, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO ISAIAH JOHNSON ON YOUR NEW ROLE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MS. HOLLY SAID. I WANT TO WISH A FOND FAREWELL TO DR. BUCKLEY SINCE HE WILL BE LEAVING US.

JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW YOU'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS BOARD OF EDUCATION AND YOU'RE A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT. I'VE BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU. I WISH YOU GODSPEED AS YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PHASE OF YOUR LIFE. AND I DO MEAN THIS WITH ALL SINCERITY, YOU ARE THE EPITOME OF A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT.

SO APPRECIATE YOU. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR WORK FOR CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU, BOARD.

I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS. I'LL TRY AND KEEP IT QUICK BECAUSE I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A LOT GOING ON.

TWO HALF DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL, SO FOR THE KIDS, I'M SURE THEY'RE VERY EXCITED.

I HAD MY LAST DAY OF VOLUNTEERING ON MONDAY AT GILPIN WITH THE KINDERGARTEN.

IT WAS SO TOUCHING AND A LITTLE SAD, I HAVE TO SAY, TO KNOW THAT THEY WON'T BE THERE IN KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR WHEN HOPEFULLY I LIKE TO DO THE KINDERGARTEN IN GILPIN, SO I'LL PROBABLY STICK WITH KINDERGARTEN, BUT I WILL GET TO SEE THEM IN THE HALL AS FIRST GRADERS.

AND THEN TOMORROW WILL BE MY LAST DAY WITH THE FIRST GRADERS IN CECILTON, SO IT'S BITTERSWEET.

I KNOW THEY'RE EXCITED FOR SUMMER, BUT IT IS SAD TO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO GO THERE EVERY THURSDAY AND SEE THEM. THIS PAST MONTH I WAS ALSO AT THE CAPSTONE WALK, WHICH IS AN AMAZING TIME IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO A CAPSTONE WALK, WE HAVE IT EVERY YEAR IN MAY, SO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE DONE. IT'S AMAZING. I DID END-OF-YEAR AWARDS AND SEVERAL OF THE GRADUATIONS, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT OUR GRADUATES ARE AMAZING.

JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT JUST FROM OUR SALUTATORIANS AND VALEDICTORIANS, WE HAVE KIDS GOING TO YALE, MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME KIDS THAT ARE REALLY, THEY'RE TOP OF THE LINE, THEY REALLY ARE. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING TO SEE, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM COME BACK AND TALK TO US ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE. SO I'M EXCITED FOR THEM. ALSO, MISS METCALF, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US ON THE BOARD, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK.

I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA KILL IT. AND ISAIAH, WELCOME. HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AND HAPPY TO WORK BESIDE YOU FOR THE NEXT YEAR. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND OF COURSE, DR.

BUCKLEY, IT'S BEEN GREAT GETTING TO KNOW YOU, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME AND SPEND THAT TIME WITH THAT GRANDCHILD, AND SUPER EXCITED FOR YOU.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, HAVE DONE FOR US. AND THAT'S IT FOR ME.

SO.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

REAL QUICKLY, JUST GO THROUGH A FEW SLIDES.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

REAL QUICKLY, JUST TO REITERATE SOME OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID BY THE BOARD, JUST TO THANK JOE, DR. BUCKLEY PERSONALLY.

JOE AND I HAVE BEEN PARTNERS SIDE BY SIDE THROUGH MY FINISHING MY 17TH YEAR NOW IN CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND FOR 15 YEARS, LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE WORK SIDE BY SIDE THROUGH EVERY KIND OF SITUATION YOU CAN IMAGINE.

HE'S CONSUMMATE FRIEND, CONSUMMATE GENTLEMAN, CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH, JOE. SO I'VE SAID IT ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES. SO THAT'S ENOUGH.

THAT'S ALL YOU GET.

IT'S LIKE ALL THE DIFFERENT VENUES I SAY, I KEEP GUSHING IT ON. I DON'T

[00:50:01]

NO, YES I DO.

THE GRADUATIONS AT THE BOB CARPENTER CENTER, AS MR. FERNANDO TOUCHED ON, CERTAINLY WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK OF TRADITION.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK GENESIS OF HOW IT WAS BORN, SO TO SPEAK LAST YEAR WAS MAY 28TH, 2025. PERRYVILLE, NORTHEAST, AND ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL ALL HELD THEIR GRADUATIONS UNDER A TORNADO WATCH.

THE ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION IN LASTED 47 MINUTES. THAT WAS THE NIGHT AFTER THE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY GRADUATION WAS HELD IN THE RAIN AT RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE I LITERALLY HELD THE UMBRELLA OVER MR. COMAGEE'S AS HE READ THE NAMES.

THERE AGAIN, FAMILIES GETTING UP AND LEAVING AS SOON AS THEIR KID'S NAME WAS ANNOUNCED. SO THE BOARD AND I TALKED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING ABOUT SOME THINGS, SOME OPTIONS THAT WOULD BE OUT THERE TO JUST STOP THE MADNESS.

KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS ON THE HEELS OF A COUPLE YEARS AGO, NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL, PROBABLY UP TO 500 PEOPLE UNDER THE BLEACHERS DURING A GRADUATION BECAUSE OF A THUNDERSTORM. THE INFAMOUS PICTURE OF DR.

BOYER HANDING OUT DIPLOMAS IN AN ABSOLUTE MONSOON IN PROBABLY 2018, '19 MAYBE.

BUT YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD OUR STRUGGLES WITH OUTDOOR GRADUATIONS.

GRADUATING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE IS A VERY COMMON THING WITH A BUNCH OF SYSTEMS. SO WE FIGURED WE'D GIVE IT A RUN, AND IT HAS BEEN IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE THIS COST SAVINGS THING, BUT IT'S TURNED OUT WITH MONEY BEING THE WAY THAT IT IS, IT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, SPARKED A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS. SO I FIGURED NOW THAT THE INVOICES ARE OFFICIALLY ROLLING IN, THIS IS THE SPENDING THAT'S OCCURRED AROUND THE GRADUATION FROM A WEEK OR TWO AGO. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE INVOICE THAT CAME FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE WAS $59,000 $291.

AND AS WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG, WE WOULD SPLIT THAT COST WITH THE SCHOOL. THE MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE BOARD OFFICE, THAT COMES FROM THE SYSTEM'S UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET.

AND THE MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE SCHOOL, THAT COMES FROM THE OFFICE. LITERALLY, THEY HAVE TWO FUNDING SOURCES.

ONE IS WE GIVE THEM A CHUNK OF MONEY PER PUPIL, AND THE SECOND IS THEY WHAT I WILL SAY CREATE THEIR OWN MONEY THROUGH DIFFERENT FUNDRAISERS, STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS. SO $5,900 FROM US, $5,900 FROM THE SCHOOL, COMBINE IT, AND THAT TOOK CARE OF THE UNIVERSITY. THAT IS NOT ALL OF IT, ALTHOUGH THAT IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT.

YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE CAVEAT AT THE BOTTOM. WE SIGNED WITH A VENDOR TO LIVESTREAM THE GRADUATIONS, ALL OF THEM, AND AS OF THIS MORNING, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE LUNCH, THERE WERE ABOUT 10,000 VIEWS OF OUR GRADUATIONS. AND WE KNEW WE HAD HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WATCHING LIVE AS IT WAS HAPPENED, AND SINCE THEN MORE PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED. SO OUR ESTIMATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAME AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED THEM ONLINE, UPWARDS OF 25,000 PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED THE GRADUATIONS. AND SO IN TERMS OF SHEER RAW EXPOSURE TO OUR GRADUATIONS, IT'S VASTLY INCREASED.

BUT THAT IS $2,100 PER SCHOOL THAT WE WILL WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'LL PAY FOR THAT.

SO I'VE TOUCHED ON A FEW OF THE ADVANTAGES WE IDENTIFIED AS BEING ALL AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND STUDENTS AND US WERE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH METAL DETECTORS, THOROUGH SECURITY COMING IN.

PARKING WAS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE FOR TWO OF THE GRADUATIONS IN THAT WE HAD SOME GRADUATIONS COMING IN WHILE OTHERS WERE GOING OUT, AND THAT CREATED SOME PARKING CHALLENGES. I THINK IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT VENUE, WE COULD LOOK AT SPACING IT OUT MAYBE A LITTLE, ANOTHER HALF HOUR OR SO THAN WE DID.

THEY PROVIDE ALL THE TICKET TAKERS. IT'S A GRADE A SOUND SYSTEM. THE ADA ACCESS AND SEATING DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH UNLESS YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME IN, IN WALKERS AND WHEELCHAIRS, AND HAD THAT REAL NICE AREA IN THE VERY FRONT ROW OF THE VENUE. AS ADDISON MENTIONED, CLIMATE CONTROL WAS NICE, HAS A ROOF. AND THEN THE JUMBOTRON, THAT WAS REALLY A HIT TOO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU FIND YOURSELF SITTING WATCHING THE JUMBOTRON WHEN YOUR CHILD'S NAME IS CALLED AND THEY WALK.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE TAKING PICTURES OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A CLEAR RESOLUTION. SO THERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAW. SO WHAT WE DID HERE FOR COMPARISON AGAIN, THIS IS PUBLIC RECORD, THIS WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE OR GRAB A PICTURE OF IT NOW BUT THIS BREAKS DOWN THE ACTUAL COST, HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND WHERE THE MONEY WENT LAST YEAR IN 2025. SO THIS IS A LOOK AT REALLY AT THE HISTORICAL SPENDING THAT'S OCCURRED ALL THE TIME. NOBODY EVER IT NEVER REALLY COMES UP BECAUSE NOBODY REALLY PAYS ATTENTION TO DO IT. BUT SCHOOLS HAVE ALWAYS PURCHASED, WHETHER IT'S CHAIRS, FLOWERS, RISERS FOR THE FIELD, SOUND SYSTEMS SOMETIMES.

SOME OF THE FOOTBALL SOUND SYSTEMS ARE PRETTY SKETCHY, SO THEY'LL RENT A SOUND SYSTEM.

YOU CAN SEE SRO COVERAGE IS A LEGITIMATE EXPENSE, AS IS THE OVERTIME. SO WE RIGHT NOW BELIEVE THAT $35,000 IS GOING TO OCCUR EVERY YEAR. IT DOESN'T MUCH MATTER WHAT YOU DO. SO THERE'S SOME LOOSE ENDS.

SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WOULD ASK YOURSELF, WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE CLASS OF JUNE 26TH, WHERE THEIR EXPENDITURES, THE INVOICES ARE COMING IN NOW AND THE PAYMENTS ARE HAPPENING.

[00:55:01]

MS. SOPA AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING ON RECONCILING THE SCHOOL-LEVEL SPENDING NOW.

AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AND I PROMISED THE BOARD IF THEY WANTED A MORE THOROUGH REVIEW MAYBE AT THE JULY BOARD MEETING. I KNOW THE PRINCIPALS AND THE GRADUATION ADVISORS WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO COME IN AND SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MISS HEATH.

THANK YOU, DR. LAWSON. NEXT WE HAVE OUR CCPS EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS. MISS LORI HORENKO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FIRST WITH CECIL COUNTY CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION? GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HEATH, DR. LAWSON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND GUESTS. I FEEL LIKE WE BLINKED AND SOMEHOW IT'S JUNE.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW WE GOT HERE, BUT IT'S OUR STUDENTS' LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AND JUNE DOES BRING LOTS OF CELEBRATIONS. WE'VE SEEN ALL OF OUR SENIORS GRADUATE.

IT'S JUST A TIME OF EXCITEMENT SEEING WHAT THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING INTO THE WORLD OF WORK, GOING FOR MORE EDUCATION, OR THEY'RE GOING INTO SERVICE. IT'S JUST SUCH AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CELEBRATIONS HERE AS WELL.

I DID WANT TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE ADDISON FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AS A STUDENT BOARD MEMBER. YOU'VE REALLY REPRESENTED YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS SO WELL, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR COMMUNITY.

BEING ON THE BOARD AT ANY AGE IS NOT AN EASY TASK, AND AT YOUR AGE, YOU HAVE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU DO IN THE FUTURE. WE DID GET A LITTLE SOMETHING.

I THOUGHT THEY WERE FOR DR.

BUCKLEY.

I DID.

SO DID HE.

ALL GOOD.

AND THEN SECONDLY, CELEBRATING A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES, I LOOKED AT THE LIST AND I WAS LIKE, I KNOW THAT PERSON AND I KNOW THAT PERSON AND I KNOW THAT.

AND THEY WERE ALL, THEY'RE ALL AMAZING, WHICH IS REMARKABLE AND FANTASTIC AND A GOOD THING.

BUT JUST SUCH SPECIAL EXCITEMENT TO RECOGNIZE NICOLE WALKER FROM ELKTON HIGH SCHOOL, BIOLOGY TEACHER AND OUR 2026 CECIL COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR. NOT ONLY CAN I SAY SHE'S AN AMAZING TEACHER BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS IN MY FAMILY, BUT I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH NICOLE AS A SCIENCE TEACHER.

SHE HAS MENTORED ALL BASICALLY ALL THE SCIENCE TEACHERS. SHE'S LED OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, AND I JUST CAN'T SAY HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO HAVE HER AND HOW HAPPY I AM THAT SHE'S BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR THIS HONOR. IF YOU HAVEN'T KNOWN HER, I ASK TELL YOU TO GO SEEK HER OUT AND TALK TO FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS BECAUSE SHE REALLY IS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST WE HAVE HERE IN CECIL COUNTY. FINALLY, A SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE BUCKLEY, WHO'S ALWAYS CONSISTENTLY PLACED OUR KIDS AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STAFF AT THE FOREFRONT OF HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK FOR SO MANY YEARS. ANSWERS THE PHONE AT ALL TIMES OF DAY AND NIGHT WHEN EMERGENCIES ARISE.

I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH DR.

BUCKLEY, FIRST AS A SCIENCE TEACHER, THEN WHEN HE WAS A PRINCIPAL AND I WAS A NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION, AND THEN HIS WORK IN ED SERVICES AND THEN BUSINESS SERVICES AND WITH NEGOTIATIONS. AND HE WORKED WITH ALL OF OUR UNIONS, OUR CCC AND OUR CESPA UNIONS, SOLVING PROBLEMS, FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND STAFF. JUST WITH THE UTMOST INTEGRITY AND THE EYE ON DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT.

AND IF HE SAID IT, LIKE, HIS WORD IS HIS BOND. YOU CAN GUARANTEE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WRITTEN DOWN, THERE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SIGNATURE, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO JOE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN WHERE HE'S COME FROM, HE'S NEVER FORGOT WHO RAISED HIM. AND WE CERTAINLY DID NOT ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE ON THINGS, BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE JOB, BUT HE'S ALWAYS HELD ON TO HIS VALUES. AND SO HE HIS INTELLIGENCE, HIS LOGIC, THAT SCIENCE BRAIN, WHICH I TRULY APPRECIATED, HIS WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN EVEN IF HE DIDN'T AGREE. AND YOU KNEW HE DIDN'T AGREE, HE WOULD STILL LISTEN. AND HE HAS A WICKED SENSE

[01:00:01]

AND SO, JOE, YOU'RE GOING TO JUST BE GREATLY MISSED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. AND WE DO HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU, BUT IT'S STILL IN THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING.

SORRY.

OKAY, AND NOW ON TO MORE A CHALLENGING TOPIC.

IT'S REALLY AN UNCERTAIN TIME AND TROUBLING TIME FOR MANY OF OUR STAFF. THERE HAVE BEEN LAYOFFS WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET.

THERE HAVE BEEN PROGRAM CUTS.

THERE'S STILL LOTS OF RUMORS. I MEAN, STAY OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AND A FEELING OF UNREST. AND PEOPLE ARE STILL WONDERING IF MORE CUTS ARE COMING. AND WHAT HAS BEEN CUT AND WHO'S BEEN CUT, IT'S KIND OF BEEN GOING BY WORD OF MOUTH. SO I WOULD REQUEST WHEN THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE, IF YOU COULD SHARE, YOU KNOW, NOT WE DON'T NEED NAMES, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEEN CUT SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND THEN KNOW THAT THERE IS AN END TO THAT SO THAT THEY'RE NOT WAITING, AM I IS SOMETHING STILL COMING? AND SO AS YOU CONSIDER THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD. WE KNOW THAT WE LOST PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH KIDS, AND WE KNOW WE HAVE TO RUN AND MAINTAIN THE BUILDINGS AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS.

BUT EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT ADDING SOMETHING IN, PLEASE CONSIDER, WOULD THAT MONEY BE BETTER SPENT GOING TOWARD GETTING AN EXTRA TEACHER OR PARAPROFESSIONAL IN THE CLASSROOM? BECAUSE THE MONEY WILL ADD UP. SO IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, $5,000 FOR A MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, OR, YOU KNOW, MEMBERSHIP TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING, BUT COULD WE STACK THAT MONEY AND START STACKING IT FOR THE FUTURE? IT'S HARD. WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS SPOT IN A LONG, LONG TIME. AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE THE BACK END OF THINGS, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE DON'T GET NEW THINGS, RIGHT? WE WANT OUR KIDS TO HAVE THE BEST. WE DO IN OUR HOUSEHOLD AS WELL, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT THE TIME FOR NEW THINGS, RIGHT? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP THE SHINY AND JUST GO WITH THE SERVICEABLE, RIGHT? I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE GIVE ALL OUR KIDS HAND-ME-DOWNS, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN REIN IN OR PULL IN, I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT.

AND I KNOW YOU HAVE.

I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S FRIVOLOUS SPENDING, BUT ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT, ARE PERSONAL DECISIONS BECAUSE THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE'S PEOPLE'S JOBS, PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT IT'S KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM WHO ARE BEING IMPACTED TOO BECAUSE OF THE LARGER CLASS SIZES AND THE SERVICES WE'RE MISSING. AND AGAIN, I KNOW I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW AND HAVEN'T CONSIDERED, BUT I JUST NEED TO SPEAK THAT ON BEHALF OF OUR FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY FEELING THIS AND ARE GOING TO FEEL THIS IN THE NEXT YEAR AS WELL AND THE YEARS TO COME. AND SO WITH THAT, THE REASON PART OF THE REASON WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION IS BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IS COMPRISED OF MONEY FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND COUNTY FUNDING, AND THIS BOARD DOES NOT DECIDE ON THAT MONEY THAT COMES TO THEM. WE ONLY RECEIVE IT AS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND SO ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT DECIDE WHAT MONEY IS COMING TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM COME FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND SO ADDISON SAID IT WELL, ELECTIONS ARE STARTING, RIGHT? THE DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY AND THIS YEAR AT THE BALLOT BOX ARE GOING TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON CECIL COUNTY AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR KIDS AND OUR FAMILIES LONG AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ADS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ARE GONE.

AND SO IF IF PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN WORRIED ABOUT SCHOOLS AND KIDS BEFORE THE ELECTION TIME, YOU HAVE TO WONDER WHERE WERE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY NOW? ARE THEY REALLY WORRIED? AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES. THERE ARE MANY PLACES THAT HAVE VIDEOS OF THE FORUMS. THERE'S LOTS OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS YOUR BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION. SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO EDUCATE YOURSELF.

IF YOU'RE NOT YET REGISTERED TO VOTE, YOU CAN STILL VOTE ON BY REGISTERING ON ELECTION DAY. TAKE YOUR, YOU KNOW, MATERIALS WITH YOU AND THEY WILL SIGN YOU UP THEN ON ELECTION DAY IN PERSON.

BUT THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO SIT OUT. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T VOTE IN THE PRIMARY. IF YOU'RE A REGISTERED INDEPENDENT, YOU CAN STILL VOTE ON SCHOOL BOARD, AND IT'S CRITICAL. SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DO THAT. SO AS WE CLOSE OUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PARENTS, OUR GRANDPARENTS, OUR AUNTS AND AUNTS AND UNCLES THAT CARE FOR OUR KIDS DAY IN AND DAY OUT. THANK OUR TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS FOR THE LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS THAT THEY DEDICATE TO OUR KIDS, OFTEN SPENDING MORE TIME THERE THAN AT HOME AND I WANT TO WISH ALL OUR FAMILIES JUST A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE BREAK.

THANK YOU.

AND NEXT, OUR CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATORS AND SCHOOL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION, MISS GINA

[01:05:02]

GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. LAWSON, LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT.

ON BEHALF OF THE CECIL COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND SUPERVISION SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION, I JUST WANT TO TAKE JUST A FEW MINUTES TO RECOGNIZE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FROM OUR LENS. THIS YEAR HAS BROUGHT BOTH OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND I THINK THROUGH IT ALL, OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPERVISORS REMAIN STEADFAST IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILY. WE'VE CELEBRATED PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS WITH MEMBERS CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION AND EARNING THEIR DOCTORATE THIS YEAR. QUICK SHOUT OUT TO DR. KATIE FORTUNE, DR. BRIAN DEMAIO, AND DR. LISA LOWE. WE WERE HAPPY TO AWARD ABIGAIL WILSON, A SENIOR FROM BOW MANOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND AUBREY SCHAEFER, A SENIOR FROM RISING SUN HIGH, WITH SCHOLARSHIPS AS THEY EMBARK ON THEIR COLLEGE ENDEAVORS TO PURSUE EDUCATION. WE'VE SUPPORTED ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE MOST RECENT REDUCTION IN FORCE THAT AFFECTED MEMBERS WITHIN OUR ASSOCIATION. AND LASTLY, I'D BE REMISS IF I DID NOT SAY THAT WE HAD 5 BEAUTIFUL GRADUATIONS, BOTH AT BOWMAN HIGH SCHOOL AND AT THE BOB CARPENTER CENTER. PLEASE GO AHEAD AND GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR EVERYBODY THAT TOOK PART IN THAT. SO SUMMER OFTEN SIGNALS A WELL-DESERVED BREAK.

A LOT OF KIDS ASK, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO IN THE BUILDING? AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE BUYING A NEW HOUSE. SO YOU'RE GETTING MOVED OUT OF YOUR APARTMENT INTO A SHINY HOUSE, AND WE HAVE TO DO IT IN 2 MONTHS. THE WORK THAT WE HAVE AHEAD, I KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN PLANNING, MASTER SCHEDULING, FIGURING OUT OUR FACILITY PREPARATIONS.

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEW NORTHEAST HIGH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND OTHER COUNTLESS EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE READY AUGUST, I WANT TO SAY THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19TH.

THAT'S OUR DEADLINE.

BUT NEXT YEAR, NEXT YEAR IS ALSO GOING TO BRING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRUCTURING AND POSITIONS REDUCED AFFECTING CCPS. SO THIS YEAR IS GOING TO TAKE SOME GETTING USED TO.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE, OH, WHOSE JOB IS THAT? WE GOTTA GET IT DONE. PUT IT ON SOMEBODY'S PLATE.

ADDISON, I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT LAST YEAR SITTING HERE WHEN YOU WERE ON THE OTHER END, I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS VERY CLASSY AND I TALKED TO LORI THAT THE TRIPLE C HAD JUST RECOGNIZED THAT IT'S NOT EASY. YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING ON YOUR PLATE, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING AS YOU LOOK BACK.

YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AND YOU COME BACK AND YOU'RE LIKE, YEAH, THAT MADE ME A BETTER PERSON.

SO ON BEHALF OF OUR ASSOCIATION, WE DID GET YOU JUST A LITTLE GIFT, AND WE HOPE THAT YOUR VISION, YOUR DRIVE CONTINUES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

NEXT WE HAVE CECIL EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION.

MISS DANIELLE SLAVER, IS SHE NOT HERE? OKAY, THAT'S IT.

SO NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A RECOGNITION OF OUR 2026 CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHER OF THE YEAR, MISS NICOLE WALKER.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR.

LAWSON, LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND OUR GUESTS. IT IS MY PLEASURE THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE TO YOU FORMALLY TO THE CECIL COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

THIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES TEACHERS WHO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY DAILY INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS AND SET HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR STUDENTS, AND THEIR SCHOOLS.

STUDENTS, PARENTS, COLLEAGUES, ADMINISTRATORS, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WERE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT NAMES OF QUALITY EDUCATORS WHO REPRESENT THE BEST OF TEACHING IN CECIL COUNTY. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE MS. NICOLE WALKER TO PLEASE COME FORWARD. I THINK YOU'RE COMING HERE, ACTUALLY.

IS THAT RIGHT, JEN? SHE'S COMING HERE.

SHE AND THE OTHER 18 OUTSTANDING CANDIDATES REPRESENT CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THIS YEAR'S TEACHER

[01:10:01]

SHE HAS IT WILL BE ENTERING THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM WITH THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND COMPETING WITH OTHER TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FROM COUNTIES IN THE STATE, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HAVE SAY A COUPLE WORDS TO US THIS EVENING. COME ON UP, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR YOUR RECOGNITION THIS EVENING AND TO THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR CHOOSING ME TO REPRESENT CECIL COUNTY.

THIS IS NOT AN HONOR THAT I TAKE LIGHTLY. SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME TO BE A TEACHER? TEACHERS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE.

WE TAKE THE RAW POTENTIAL OF OUR STUDENTS AND TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, WE STRIVE TO MOLD AND SCULPT THEM INTO THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES. WE TRY TO SHOW THEM ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AN EDUCATION CAN MAKE AVAILABLE TO THEM. TEACHERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC. WE BRING PASSION AND EXCITEMENT INTO OUR ROOMS EVERY DAY.

TEACHERS CARRY THE ENERGY AND EMOTIONALITY OF A ROOM ON OUR SHOULDERS. AS MUCH AS WE POUR INTO OUR STUDENTS, WE ALSO FEED OFF OF THEIR ENGAGEMENT. IT'S THE LIFEBLOOD OF A CLASSROOM.

TEACHERS ARE ADVOCATES. WE FIGHT FOR WHAT IS NECESSARY AND WHAT IS EQUITABLE TO MAKE OUR STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL. WE FIGHT FOR A FAIR BUDGET, FOR RECOGNITION OF OUR SKILLS, AND THE RIGHT TO TEACH IN A SAFE SPACE FREE FROM HARASSMENT, FROM DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS OR OTHER ADULTS. WE FIGHT FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SO THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO OUR JOB EFFECTIVELY.

TEACHERS ARE CAPABLE. WE SPEND YEARS PREPARING AND PERFECTING OUR CRAFT.

DESPITE THIS, EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE AN OPINION ON HOW WE SHOULD AND COULD BE DOING OUR JOBS BETTER. WE DO ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THE DREAM OF MOST TEACHERS IS TO BE GIVEN A VOICE THAT'S HEARD, THE TIME, RESOURCES, AND THE FREEDOM TO ACTUALLY DO OUR JOBS AS WE KNOW HOW THEY NEED TO BE DONE.

TEACHERS ARE HUMAN. WE HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. SOME DAYS WE COME TO SCHOOL READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD, FULL OF ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT.

OTHER DAYS WE ARE HANGING ON BY A THREAD, JUST AS DYSREGULATED AS SOME OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT WE PULL IT ALL TOGETHER AS BEST WE CAN.

WE LEAN ON OUR FRIENDS AND OUR COLLEAGUES. THEN WE START LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR TO SEE WHEN THE NEXT HOLIDAY IS SO THAT WE CAN RESET AND RETURN TO BEGIN AGAIN.

TEACHERS ARE ECLECTIC.

WE'RE A VERY DIVERSE AND QUIRKY GROUP. WE BRING OUR BACKGROUNDS, OUR BELIEFS, OUR HOBBIES, OUR INTERESTS, AND OUR PERSONALITIES INTO OUR CLASSROOM. A GOOD TEACHER CAN TEACH THE CONTENT. A GREAT TEACHER CONNECTS THE CONTENT TO THEIR PERSONAL PASSIONS AND THEIR STUDENTS' INTERESTS.

TEACHERS ARE RESILIENT. YOU HAVE TO BE DETERMINED, PERSISTENT, AND DOWNRIGHT STUBBORN IN YOUR BELIEF THAT WHAT YOU DO MAKES A DIFFERENCE. YOU ALSO HAVE TO PERSEVERE THROUGH THE MOMENTS AND THE DAYS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE JUST BANGING YOUR HEAD ON A WALL, TALKING TO YOURSELF, I KNOW I'VE GIVEN THESE INSTRUCTIONS 5 MORE TIMES AND THERE'LL STILL BE A KID WHO SAYS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? BUT AS THE QUOTE SAYS, EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNING.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH, SMILE, AND START AGAIN. LASTLY, TEACHERS ARE SUPERSTARS BECAUSE 10 MONTHS A YEAR, 5 TIMES A WEEK, MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, WE GET UP IN FRONT OF THE CLASS.

OF STUDENTS AND PERFORM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES LESSONS THAT HAVE BEEN PAINSTAKINGLY PREPARED. WE PIVOT AND WE CIRCLE BACK AS NEEDED, MAKING SURE THE SHOW GOES ON TILL OUR STUDENTS ATTAIN THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING YEAR REPRESENTING CECIL COUNTY AS YOUR 2026-27 TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

HUG AND A HANDSHAKE.

[4. Consent Agenda]

[01:16:51]

BEFORE I ASK FOR A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM THE AGENDA FOR A SEPARATE DISCUSSION OR VOTE.

OKAY, HEARING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS AS PRESENTED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL

[5. New Business]

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

NEW BUSINESS. WE HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION REPORT.

THANK YOU, MS. HEATH. AS THE BOARD CAN SEE, DR. TED BOYER, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, MR. SIMPERS, OUR DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES, AND DR. BUCKLEY PREPARED A CONSTRUCTION REPORT FOR YOUR VIEWING. AS USUAL, THE HIGHLIGHT IS THE NEW SCHOOL.

SOME NEW FACES HERE. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN JUST A DAY OR TWO AGO.

OVER HERE IS THE TRACK FOR AS A MATTER OF FACT, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT? NO, I'M SORRY, GO BACK DOWN.

RIGHT OVER HERE WOULD BE THE FOOTBALL STADIUM. THIS IS A BIG PILE OF DIRT AT THE MOMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE A PARKING LOT.

OVER HERE IS GYMNASIUM, CAFETERIA, MIDDLE SCHOOL WING, AUDITORIUM, MAIN CORRIDOR THROUGH THE BUILDING. NOT SURE E, WHATEVER. G IS THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND OUT HERE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETIC FIELDS. SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THIS WOULD BE THE HIGH SCHOOL WING. OKAY, THIS IS WHAT SO HERE'S THE FOOTBALL STADIUM AS A REFERENCE, AND AGAIN, THE GYMNASIUM'S HERE.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THEY STARTED TO BLACKTOP SOME OF THE PARKING DRIVING AREA.

THESE CURBS ARE PERMANENT, SO THIS IS REALLY STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU GET TO GO, YOU KNOW, VISIT THE BUILDING.

NOW YOU CAN PARK ACTUALLY IN A PARKING LOT. AGAIN, THIS BIG MOUNTAIN OF DIRT IS GOING TO GET MOVED OUT AND IT WILL BE A PARKING LOT. THIS IS THE AUDITORIUM, BALCONIES RIGHT THERE, BALCONIES HERE.

YOU'RE STANDING AT THE STAGE LOOKING OUT AT THE BALCONY BASICALLY FROM THIS CAMERA ANGLE, AND IT HAD JUST RAINED.

AGAIN, THIS IS THE GYMNASIUM.

YOU'RE STANDING ON THE GYM FLOOR LOOKING UP.

CAFETERIA AGAIN, TWO CAFETERIAS, ONE MIDDLE, ONE HIGH, AND THEY WILL SHARE A KITCHEN.

ALSO SEPARATE GYMS. THERE'S PLENTY OF GYM SPACE. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DRYWALL, SHEETROCK GOING UP TO SEPARATE CLASSROOMS. IT'S REALLY STARTING TO COME ALONG. AGAIN, OCCUPANCY IS EXPECTED JULY 1ST OF NEXT YEAR. THIS IS THE ROOF OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUILDING, WHICH WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PICTURES OF THIS FOR, SEEMS LIKE ABOUT 2 YEARS.

IT'S NOT VERY GLAMOROUS,

[01:20:02]

IF YOU NEED IT OVER TOP OF YOU, IT MEANS A LOT. SO THERE'S AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROOF. THAT'S BAYVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIGHT THERE.

THIS USED TO BE THE OLD SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY, THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW. IT'S NOW OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUILDING. A NEARLY $5 MILLION HEATING AIR CONDITIONING PROJECT IS NOW UNDERWAY AT CECIL MANOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING. I WAS JUST THERE YESTERDAY, AND CERTAIN PARTS OF THAT BUILDING ARE REALLY UNBEARABLE.

SO WE EXPECT THAT TO BE DONE WHAT DO YOU, DR.

BOYD, 18 MONTHS OR SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR THAT? AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. ANY QUESTIONS FOR LEADERSHIP TEAM OR MYSELF? THANK YOU.

SO NOW WE HAVE THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, FISCAL YEAR 2022.

YES.

I MEANT 2027.

YEAH.

OH MY GOSH.

THE WAY BACK IS NOT SO BAD.

WOO! WOW.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE DON'T WANT TO DO '22 AGAIN. YES, AS THE BOARD RECALLS, LAST MONTH WE SHARED THE MASTER PLAN.

AGAIN, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE MASTER PLAN IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ASPIRATIONAL, I SHOULD SAY. IT HAS SOME ISSUES THERE IN TERMS OF CLASS SIZE, SCHOOL SIZE.

YOU KNOW, AS THE BOARD KNOWS, WE HAVE 5, MAYBE 6 NOW, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 300 STUDENTS.

SO THERE IS AN ISSUE THERE. I KNOW SOMETIMES SOME OF THE POPULAR CONTEMPORARY RHETORIC IS THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED. EH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM VERSUS CURRENT ENROLLMENT, PROBABLY UPWARDS OF 2,000 EMPTY SEATS. AND SO THERE WILL BE SOME CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO REDISTRICTING, I THINK, IN THE FUTURE.

BUT THAT SAID, ESPECIALLY GIVEN SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT WE REALLY HAVE SOME CLUSTERS OF CROWDING AND SOME CLUSTERS OF NOT CROWDING. SO THE GOAL IN THE NEXT COMING YEARS WILL BE TO BALANCE THAT OUT. AND WITH THAT, ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR DR.

BUCKLEY OR DR. BOYER? QUESTIONS BEFORE I READ A RECOMMENDATION.

OKAY.

AND WITH THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN FOR SUBMISSION TO THE STATE'S INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.

DR. LAWSON HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES FY26 REVIEW.

THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, DR. TED BOYER WILL COME UP AND LEAD THIS PRESENTATION, KEEPING IN MIND THAT, I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING SCHOOL MEAL AND MILK PRICES.

DR. BOYER.

GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT KEITH, DR. LAWSON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND GUESTS. IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE MR. SCOTT HECKER, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF FOOD NUTRITION, AND HE'S GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE OF HIS BUDGET FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE PEOPLE FLOWERS WHEN THEY COME UP HERE. SO BEFORE HE MAKES HIS PRESENTATION, I JUST WANT TO THANK MR. HECKER FOR ALL HIS LEADERSHIP. WHAT HE DOES IS NOT EASY, BUT HE MAKES IT LOOK EASY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE WHILE AGO, I WISH ALL THOSE STUDENTS THAT WERE IN HERE DIDN'T LEAVE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERY DAY HE MAKES AN IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES IN TERMS OF PROVIDING QUALITY MEALS TO THOSE STUDENTS. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST SO FOR RECORD, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, MAN.

GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HEATH, DR. LAWSON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, LEADERSHIP TEAM.

BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T JUST SAY A QUICK CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO DR. BUCKLEY.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE.

MY NAME IS SCOTT HECKARD.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF FOOD NUTRITION. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT OUR BUDGET. SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR YEAR IN REVIEW. I WILL SAY, BEFORE WE GET INTO SOME STATISTICS, I WILL SAY WE WERE AT ABOUT A 55% PARTICIPATION RATE DAILY, WHICH I WILL TELL YOU THAT ANY DIRECTOR AROUND THE STATE GETS 55% PARTICIPATION DAILY, IT'S PRETTY DARN GOOD. SO I THINK WE'RE DOING SOME GOOD THINGS THERE. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE SORT OF REINTRODUCED THIS YEAR WAS WE REINTRODUCED A VENDING PROGRAM. PROGRAM AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM FOR US THAT WE USE TO INVEST BACK INTO OUR PROGRAM IN TERMS OF BUYING NEW EQUIPMENT, REPAIRING OLD EQUIPMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF PHOTOS FROM WE DO SOME EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH RECOGNITION EVERY MONTH WITH

[01:25:01]

SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE ACTUAL NUMBERS, THESE ARE ALL ESTIMATED NUMBERS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I PREPARE THIS BUDGET, IT'S THE BEGINNING OF MAY, SO WE STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GOOD 6 WEEKS OF SCHOOL LEFT TO GO. SO AT THIS POINT, WHEN I MADE THIS PRESENTATION, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT WE WILL SERVE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, JUST OVER A MILLION BREAKFASTS OVER THE COURSE OF SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE ESTIMATE TO SERVE 1.4 MILLION LUNCHES TO OUR STUDENTS THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

OUR OVERALL COUNTY FREE AND REDUCED RATE THIS YEAR WAS 50.88%. WE HAVE 14 CEP SCHOOLS. CEP STANDS FOR COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION, AND THOSE SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM PROGRAM, ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE A FREE BREAKFAST AND A FREE LUNCH DAILY AND THEN WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM CALLED THE MARYLAND MEALS FOR ACHIEVEMENT, IN WHICH 26 OF OUR SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM. AND THAT'S A PROGRAM WHERE STUDENTS, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR ELIGIBILITY, ARE ENTITLED TO A FREE BREAKFAST EACH DAY.

SO, FOOD NUTRITION IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND. SO, WHICH MEANS WE'RE SELF-SUPPORTING.

WE ARE PART OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, BUT WE OPERATE ON OUR OWN BUDGET. WE PAY OUR OWN EXPENSES. OUR LARGEST FORM OF REVENUE IS FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENTS FOR OUR LUNCHES. AND, YOU KNOW, BIGGEST EXPENSE IS OUR PEOPLE.

ON THE LEFT IS WHAT WE BUDGETED LAST YEAR. AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY JUST A SUMMARY OF THOSE REVENUES AND EXPENSES.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT IS ACTUAL, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THOSE ACTUAL NUMBERS WERE ESTIMATED AS OF MAY 1ST. WE PROJECTED THOSE OUT.

SO YOUR PROJECTED EXPENDITURES EXCEED THE PROJECTED REVENUES? YOU HAVE A AT MAY 1ST IT DID.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT HAVING THE ACTUAL NUMBERS BECAUSE WITH THE EXCUSE ME WITH THE WAY OUR BUDGET RUN THE WAY WE WORK, WE ALWAYS SORT OF WORK A MONTH BEHIND. SO WE'RE JUST FINISHING UP OUR MAY NUMBERS RIGHT NOW. AND BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO FINISH BETTER THAN THE NUMBER THERE.

AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST A PROJECTION AS OF MAY 1ST.

AND I TRY TO BE CONSERVATIVE THERE.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO COME HERE AND PRESENT SOME BIG NUMBER TO YOU GUYS AND THEN WHEN IT COMES WHEN THE WHEN THE ACTUAL NUMBERS COME IN, THEN IT LOOKS SORT OF FOOLISH. SO I TRY TO KEEP IT VERY CONSERVATIVE THERE.

BUT IF EXPENDITURES DID EXCEED REVENUES, THERE IS A FUND BALANCE? YEAH, WE DO HAVE A FUND BALANCE AND THERE'S AN ALLOWABLE AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE THAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO KEEP. WE ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN THAT RANGE. IF YOU RECALL AT THESE MEETINGS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAD QUITE A LARGE FUND BALANCE AND WE REINVESTED IN OUR PROGRAM BY PURCHASING NEW COOKING EQUIPMENT, PURCHASING NEW SERVING LINES.

WE PURCHASED NEW CAFETERIA TABLES FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY SCHOOL.

IF YOU GO INTO ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE GOT SOME REALLY NICE CAFETERIA TABLES.

I'LL TELL YOU THAT. I'LL PUT OUR CAFETERIA TABLES UP AGAINST ANY IN THE STATE.

ALRIGHT? WORKED HARD ON THAT.

BUT YES, EXCELLENT QUESTIONS.

IN TERMS OF OUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING.

WE PROJECT OUR REVENUES OUT TO BE ABOUT $10.8 MILLION, AGAIN, WITH FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENTS BEING OUR BIGGEST REVENUE LINE.

BASED ON YEARS PAST, WE HAD THAT VENDING LINE WAS NOT IN THERE. AGAIN, WE ADDED THAT BACK IN THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR. SO THAT'S ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM THAT WILL DEPEND ON GOING INTO THE FUTURE HERE. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WITH THAT VENDING PROGRAM, IT IS A REVENUE STREAM FOR US. HOWEVER, WE DO GIVE BACK TO THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE OUR VENDING MACHINES.

WE ACTUALLY GIVE 10% OF SALES BACK TO THE SCHOOL FOR THE PRINCIPALS TO USE IN THEIR STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS FOR WHATEVER THEY SEE FIT.

SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE PAYING RENT FOR GIVING US THE SPACE TO PUT OUR VENDING MACHINES IN.

AND WE SELL ALL USDA-APPROVED SNACKS TO SCHOOLS, TO THE STUDENTS. WE'RE NOT SELLING COKES AND, YOU KNOW, COOKIES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. WE DO HAVE A COOKIE.

IT'S A DELICIOUS COOKIE, BUT IT'S USDA-APPROVED, JUST SO YOU KNOW. YOU'LL NOTICE THE USDA COMMODITIES LINE ON THE BOTTOM. THAT IS A LINE WE GET MONEY FROM THE USDA EVERY YEAR.

IT'S ABOUT 33 CENTS PER LUNCH AND THAT 33 CENTS PER LUNCH SOLD GOES RIGHT TO PURCHASING

[01:30:01]

THE REASON WHY I POINT THAT OUT IS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON OUR EXPENSE LINE, YOU'LL SEE USDA COMMODITIES.

SO THEY IT SORT OF CANCELS ITSELF OUT. IT'S A REVENUE STREAM, BUT THEN IT GOES RIGHT OUT BECAUSE WE USE IT TO PURCHASE FOOD. AND AGAIN, THAT HELPS BRING OUR FOOD COSTS DOWN. OUR BIGGEST EXPENSE OBVIOUSLY IS OUR SALARIES WELL, FOOD, I'M SORRY, FOOD IS OUR BIGGEST EXPENSE.

NEXT AFTER THAT IS OUR SALARIES, AND THEN INDIRECT COST IS AN AGREED-UPON PERCENTAGE THAT WE PAY BACK TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR SERVICES HUMAN RESOURCES, FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE, SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR OUR BUDGET. I JUST WANT TO SAY PUBLICLY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOL LUNCH STAFF COUNTYWIDE. THESE FOLKS TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE AND THEY CARE VERY MUCH FOR THE STUDENTS OF CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

SO I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM, AND OBVIOUSLY A BIG THANK YOU TO MY OFFICE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

LISTEN, THEY MAKE ME LOOK GOOD AND I APPRECIATE THEM VERY MUCH. SO THANK YOU ALL.

I APPRECIATE THE TIME. AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.

THANK YOU.

REAL FAST, I'M SORRY.

SURE, SURE.

YOUR SUMMER PROGRAM OH YES, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, I DO, I THANK YOU. SO YES, OUR SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM BEGINS ON THE WEEK OF THE 22ND. IF YOU GO TO MDSUMMERMEALS.ORG, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE OUR DAILY SITES ARE. WE HAVE DAILY SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, FROM ELTON ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PERRYVILLE AND DOWN BELOW THE CANAL AS WELL.

AND THEN ON TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS, WE WILL BE DOING OUR MEAL DISTRIBUTION. THERE IS A FLYER THAT HAS GONE OUT TO ALL THE SCHOOLS. IT'S POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND ACTUALLY, I WAS SPEAKING TO JEN ABOUT POSTING THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. ON TUESDAYS, WE'LL BE DOWN IN THE CECILTON, EARLVILLE AREA DISTRIBUTING MEALS. AND ON WEDNESDAYS WE'LL BE AT BAYVIEW ELEMENTARY DISTRIBUTING MEALS. IT'S FREE FOR ANYBODY IN THE COUNTY.

THE ONLY THING WE ASK IS IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE THAT YOU REGISTER.

THERE'S A QR CODE ON THE FLYER. THAT IS A USDA REQUIREMENT TO HAVE YOU REGISTER.

SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE MIC WAS SO TALL. YOU DO HAVE TO REGISTER FOR IT, BUT THE MEALS ARE FREE AND IT'S A 7-DAY MEAL BOX THAT YOU GET.

SO THAT MEAL BOX COMES WITH 7 BREAKFASTS AND 7 LUNCHES PER CHILD. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED OR NEED SOME HELP THIS SUMMER, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP.

IT'S A BIG SUCCESS. WE WERE VERY WE'VE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL SUMMER LAST YEAR.

WE LOOK WE LOOK TO HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER SUMMER THIS YEAR.

THAT'S AMAZING.

THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME.

DR. LAWSON, I THINK SO, MR. HACKER, DO YOU WANT TO GO INTO THE SCHOOL MEAL AND MILK PRICES FOR NEXT YEAR? YES, WE'RE THERE.

IN THE MEMO SENT TO YOU GUYS, IT'S WE PLAN ON MAKING NO CHANGES TO MEAL OR MILK PRICES FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO LUNCH WILL REMAIN $3 AND $1.50 FOR BREAKFAST.

I JUST HAVE TO SAY, WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT WAS 25 CENTS. IF YOU WANTED CHOCOLATE MILK, IT WAS 26 CENTS.

I'LL STILL ARGUE WITH YOU THOUGH. YOU TRY TO FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET A LUNCH WITH 5 ITEMS FOR $3.

FOR 26 CENTS, I WONDER WHAT THEY WERE SERVING ME FOR 26 CENTS. MIGHT EXPLAIN SOME THINGS.

NO, YOU'RE JUST OLD.

OH YEAH. OKAY, QUESTIONS FOR MR. HECKERT? I RECOMMEND FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR THAT THE PRICES CHARGED FOR MILK, BREAKFAST, AND LUNCH REMAIN THE SAME AS THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR.

DR. LAWSON HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU.

NOW WE HAVE THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO CHANGE RECOMMENDATION.

THANK YOU, MS. HEATH. BEFORE I READ THE RECOMMENDATION, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR LINCOLN FINANCIAL I WOULD SAY PARAMETERS THAT MS. ZOPA CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK TO. OKAY, WITH THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO CHANGES RECOMMENDED BY BOLTON PARTNERS.

DR. LAWSON HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES. AND NEXT WE HAVE THE PEPPM INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATIVE PRODUCT LINE BID 548362, RENAISSANCE LEARNING.

[01:35:01]

GOOD EVENING AGAIN.

TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT FRECKLE, IT IS A PART OF THE RECENT PURCHASE WE MADE OF RENAISSANCE LEARNING, WHICH IS OUR STAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.

THAT PROGRAM MEETS SEVERAL OF OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENING STUDENTS IN READING AND MATH ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, ACROSS OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD GRADES AS WELL AS MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO TO DO DIAGNOSTIC WORK. SO ONCE WE IDENTIFY STUDENTS WHO ARE BELOW PROFICIENCY, WE THEN CAN DIAGNOSE WHERE THEIR DEFICIENCIES MAY BE. THAT'S WHERE FRECKLE COMES IN.

FRECKLE ALLOWS US TO THEN SEE THOSE DEFICIENCIES IN READING AND MATH AND PROVIDE JUST-IN-TIME INDIVIDUALIZED PERSONALIZED SUPPORT FOR THOSE DEFICIENCIES. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF A CHILD HAPPENS TO ON THEIR ASSESSMENT BE STRUGGLING WITH FRACTIONS, FRECKLE WILL COME IN AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PRACTICE THOSE PROBLEMS THAT THEY WERE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH AND GIVE THEM RIGHT-IN-TIME FEEDBACK. IT IS AN INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM, BUT IT PROVIDES REALLY WONDERFUL DATA FOR OUR TEACHERS. WE PILOTED IT THIS PAST YEAR IN SEVERAL OF, A COUPLE OF OUR SCHOOLS JUST TO SEE HOW IT WOULD PLAY, AND WE GOT RAVE RESULTS FROM THE TEACHERS. IF IMPLEMENTED, IT WOULD BE A THING TO DO WHILE STUDENTS WERE WORKING INDEPENDENTLY WITH SOME PARAMETERS, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT STUDENTS SITTING ON COMPUTERS ALL DAY LONG.

IT WOULD BE 15 MINUTES AT MAX THAT THEY WOULD BE PRACTICING THE SKILLS, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS STUDENTS TO PRACTICE AT HOME ON SOME OF THE SKILLS THAT THEY HAVE DEFICIENCIES WITH. THE REPORTING IS VERY ROBUST, AND IT WILL ALLOW US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW STUDENTS ARE PROGRESSING WITH THE INTERVENTION. OUR GOAL WAS TO, TO USE IT FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY, BUT ALSO TO USE IT FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY NEED SOME ACCELERATION OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE IT IS VERY INDIVIDUALIZED FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.

WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT THESE FUNDS WERE ORIGINALLY IN OUR SECONDARY MATH BUDGET IN THE PROGRAM THAT WE USE, WHICH WAS CALLED IXL. WE ARE REPURPOSING THAT MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE IN THAT BUDGET THAT YOU APPROVED IN FEBRUARY. AND WE ARE GETTING ALMOST A 90% DISCOUNT ON THIS PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO RUN THIS PROGRAM FOR OUR STUDENTS, NOT ONLY IN SECONDARY MATH. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO GRADES 1 THROUGH 8 FOR LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. SO WE WANTED TO BRING IT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

DAR SUITE IS REQUIRED REQUIRED PER COMAR IS FRECKLE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT? NO, NO, SIR. HOWEVER, WE ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT A STUDENT READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT MEETING WITH PROFICIENCY, AND THIS WOULD BE A PART OF THE INTERVENTIONS THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED IN ADDITION TO ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT FROM TEACHERS AND SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES.

IF I COULD WEIGH IN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I WAS SUPERINTENDENT, I WAS IN DR. HAMMER'S, AND I THINK I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING MAP TESTING IN.

AND I AM A FAN OF MAP TESTING.

I THINK IT'S GOOD, IT'S FORMATIVE, IT GIVES A PARENT A REAL GOOD IDEA OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR CHILD IN THE YEARS. YOU CAN WATCH.

WHERE I THINK MAP WAS NOT GREAT WAS THAT IT OFFERED A DIAGNOSTIC REPORT BASED ON THE STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE, AND THEN THAT WAS IT. IT WAS THEN LEFT TO THE TEACHER TO TAKE THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT AND FIND WORK ON THE BACK END THAT WOULD COME IN AND SUPPORT THE STUDENT'S NEEDS.

FRECKLE KIND OF DOES THAT.

IT SEES WHERE THE, I'LL SAY, DEFICIENCIES ARE AND THEN PROVIDES WORK FOR THE STUDENT SO THAT WHILE THE STUDENT IS DOING WORK, WHAT I WOULD CALL AN ANCHORING ACTIVITY, THE ANCHORING ACTIVITY IS TAILORED TO WHAT THE STUDENT NEEDS TO WORK ON. IT'S NOT JUST, HERE, EVERYBODY WORK ON THE SAME THING. SO I DO THINK THAT'S ONE FEATURE THAT REALLY FRANK, OLD GUY ALERT, WASN'T THERE WHEN I WAS IN THAT ROLE.

HOW WOULD WE MONITOR? YOU SAID IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE, YOU'RE NOT BABYSITTING A KID WITH A DEVICE, RIGHT? SO HOW WOULD YOU MONITOR? HOW IS THAT LOOKED AT, LIKE THAT THE TEACHER ISN'T JUST SETTING THEM IN FRONT OF FRECKLE? AND I DON'T THINK MOST OF OUR TEACHERS WOULD. I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR TEACHERS THAT MAY DO THAT, VERY, VERY SMALL. BUT HOW DO YOU MONITOR THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT BEING USED THAT WAY? WELL, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH SUPERVISION. ALSO, THEIR TEACHERS HAVE DASHBOARDS SO WE CAN SEE ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS IN THE ACTUAL PROGRAM AND SEE HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING, AND IT AUTOMATICALLY WILL MOVE THEM ALONG TO THE NEW PROGRAMS. WE WOULD HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY SET VERY CLEAR PARAMETERS ABOUT THEIR USE, AND WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.

AND IT TENDS TO BE A STATION, MR. FERNANDO, SO THE DI BLOCK IN READING IS A 45-MINUTE BLOCK, AND SO THERE'S 3 15-MINUTE 15-MINUTE STATIONS. SO, I

[01:40:01]

AND THEN HOW IS IT USED AT HOME? AND IS IT HAVE YOU I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

IS IT PRETTY INTUITIVE? CAN PARENTS KIND OF UNDERSTAND IT WITH THEIR KIDS? ONCE THE STUDENTS CAN LOG ON, STUDENTS ARE PRETTY ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THEY CAN USE THEIR GOOGLE ACCOUNT AND JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PROGRAMMING THERE AND PRACTICE AT HOME IF THEY CHOOSE TO.

PRACTICE IF THEY CHOOSE.

WOULD IT BE USED FOR MANDATORY, ANY SORT OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT THROUGH? THE TEACHER COULD POTENTIALLY DO THAT. COULD POTENTIALLY DO THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, WITH CLASSROOM SIZES GETTING BIGGER, HOW DO YOU SEE THIS HELPING OR HURTING IN THAT SCENARIO? TREMENDOUSLY.

LIKE, IN WHICH WAY? WELL, WHEN YOU'RE FACED WITH A STUDENT, A CLASS SIZE OF 30, AND A TEACHER'S GOAL IS TO SIT DOWN AND DO SMALL GROUPS, THIS WOULD ALLOW TEACHERS TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE WORKING ON INDIVIDUALIZED NEEDS WITH THE WORK USING THIS PROGRAM.

SO THAT'S WHY I SEE IT WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY.

I KNOW JUST FROM BEING IN MY FIRST GRADE CLASS THAT I GO TO ALL THE TIME, WHEN I'M IN THERE AND IT'S MATH AND SHE SEPARATES THE CLASS INTO 3 GROUPS, SHE TAKES A GROUP, I HAVE A GROUP, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP.

SO THEY'RE DOING A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE DOING A WORKSHEET TO KEEP THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT GROUP OCCUPIED FOR THAT TIME. WELL, YEAH, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD DO THAT WOULD BE INDIVIDUALIZED FOR EACH STUDENT AND WHERE THEY NEED INSTEAD OF JUST A DITTO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME THING, RIGHT? CORRECT.

AND YOU DID MENTION THAT THIS ALIGNS WITH MSDE GUIDELINES.

IT ALIGNS WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT WE ARE TO IMPLEMENT STUDENT READING INTERVENTION PLANS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE READING BELOW PROFICIENCY, AND SO THIS WOULD BE ONE OF MANY INTERVENTIONS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS, INCLUDING SMALL GROUP WORK WITH TEACHERS.

AND PART OF THE NEW LITERACY PLAN IS GOING TO REQUIRE ESSENTIALLY A READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS. AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE CAN POINT TO THAT WE'RE USING AS INTERVENTIONS FOR READING.

THE SS WHAT ARE WE CALLING IT? SRIP.

SRIP.

STUDENT READING INTERVENTION PLAN.

THERE YOU GO.

I MEAN, SO I LOOK AT IT AS WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE SCORES. AND THEREFORE WE NEED TO INVEST IN RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP US DO THAT, LIKE HELP WITH ADAPTIVE LEARNING FOR KIDS ACROSS DISCIPLINES FOR A VARIETY OF GRADES FOR 48,000 ENGLISH.

WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE RENAISSANCE TEAM TO PROVIDE SOME TRAINING FOR US. WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME TRAINING SESSIONS NEXT WEEK.

THE BOARD IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME TO THESE TYPE OF SESSIONS. SESSIONS TO SEE THIS. SO WE HAVE TRAINING SESSIONS ON THE 16TH FOR ADMINISTRATORS SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO ADMINISTER OUR STAR ASSESSMENT TO MONITOR THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING WITH STUDENT ASSESSMENTS AND INSTRUCTION.

AND WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU SEE THE PENDULUM SWING A FEW TIMES, THE CURRENT SWINGING PENDULUM IS SAYING NO, NO SCREEN TIME FOR KIDS IN CLASSROOMS. THAT NOW, NOW WE'RE GOING BACK THE OTHER WAY. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE SWEET SPOT IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. IF YOU WALK INTO SUSAN ZIMMER'S CLASS IN 6TH GRADE AT BOHEMIA MANOR, I CHALLENGE YOU TO TELL ME THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THOSE DEVICES DURING CLASSROOM TIME ISN'T JUST WONDERFUL, BECAUSE IT IS. SO DONE WELL, SCREEN TIME IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S JUST PREPARING OUR KIDS FOR WHAT WE KNOW THE FUTURE IS.

I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT. YOU SAID IT ALREADY AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT THE 15 MINUTES AND RESTRICTIONS, AND THE REASON I BRING IT UP IS BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF COMMENTARY THEORY ABOUT TEACHERS NEED THE BEST PERSON TO TEACH A STUDENT IS A TEACHER, NOT A BOOK, NOT A COMPUTER, NOT AN AI MODEL, YOU KNOW. AND, AND THERE'S TALKS ABOUT LIKE ONE DAY WE'LL HAVE ROBOTS TEACHING OUR KIDS AND LIKE HOW HORRIBLE THAT WOULD BE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I ASK THAT QUESTION, THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE STILL HAND LIKE THEY'RE WITH THEM.

BECAUSE I KNOW MY DAUGHTERS LEARN DIFFERENTLY. ONE COULD LEARN VERY EASILY FROM SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THE OTHER ONE, THE TEACHER THERE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AND BE SIDE BY SIDE.

THE NEWER TREND, AND THERE'S A FEW TEACHERS IN THE ROOM, THE NEWER TREND IS TO SEE THE TEACHER INTERFACING ON THE DEVICE WITH THE STUDENT. YES. IT'S NOT PUTTING THE STUDENT OFF IN A CORNER WITH A DEVICE AND SAY, "HERE, I'LL SEE YOU IN A HALF HOUR." THEY CAN ACTUALLY MONITOR AND SEE DASHBOARDS TO SEE THE USAGE, WHAT THE STUDENT'S DOING, AND AGAIN, IN THE 6TH GRADE READING CLASS I'M IN, SHE'S WATCHING IT IN REAL TIME. SHE'S WATCHING THESE KIDS CRAFT AN ESSAY, AND SHE'S WEIGHING IN WITH EDITS, YOU KNOW, FROM OVER THERE, AND SHE'S GOT 26 KIDS, AND SHE'S WEIGHING IN ON EVERYBODY'S EDITS AS THEY'RE LEARNING. SO IT'S MUCH MORE OF AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH TO USING TECHNOLOGY. IT'S REALLY NEAT TO WATCH, FRANKLY. OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WITH THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE A 3-YEAR CONTRACT WITH RENAISSANCE LEARNING LEARNING INCORPORATED IN THE ANNUAL AMOUNT OF $48,870.

DR. LAWSON HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED?

[01:45:02]

NEXT IS SUPPLEMENTAL CCPS RFP 2511. THERAPY, NURSING, AND OTHER SCHOOL-BASED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

DR. LAWSON. WE FORGOT OUR BREAD AND ROLLS. OH, WE DID? IT'S LIKE THE EASIEST ONE OF THE NIGHT.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WHY DO WE NOT HAVE BREAD AND ROLLS NEXT TO MILK AND MEALS? WHAT ARE WE DOING? I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO INTO ONE WITH NO QUESTIONS.

WE SHOULD HAVE BREAD AND ROLLS NEXT TO MILK AND MEALS.

BEFORE I READ THE RECOMMENDATION, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. MR. HECKERT REGARDING OUR BREAD AND ROLL CONTRACT? YES, IT IS.

HEARING NONE, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH SCHMIDT BAKING IN THE ANNUAL AMOUNT OF $100,886.

HEARD DR. LAWSON'S RECOMMENDATION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO 5.08. DR. LAWSON.

THIS CONTRACT IS FOR THERAPY NURSING. ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR MS. SOPA REGARDING THIS RFP? I RECOMMEND THAT THE CECIL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE A CONTRACT WITH ELEVATION HEALTHCARE AS AN ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR UNDER CCPS RFP 25-11, THERAPY NURSING AND OTHER SCHOOL-BASED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

HEARD DR. LAWSON'S RECOMMENDATION. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT IS OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. MS. OLSON, HAVE SOME GUIDELINES? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I AM GOING TO READ SOME OF THE PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. THE PURPOSE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD WITH CONCERNS RELATED TO AGENDA ITEMS OR MATTERS WITHIN THE BOARD'S AUTHORITY.

THE BOARD CONSIDERS ALL EMAILS AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK, EVEN IF REMARKS ARE NOT PRESENTED OR READ ALOUD AT MEETINGS. THIS EVENING, THE BOARD PRESIDENT HAS ESTABLISHED A TIMELINE FOR COMMENTS. IN GENERAL, 3 MINUTES WILL BE ALLOTTED TO INDIVIDUALS. WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME EXPIRES, THE SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO COMPLETE A SENTENCE.

NOTICE WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN 30 SECONDS REMAIN AND YOU WILL HEAR THIS BELL.

SPEAKERS MAY NOT YIELD THEIR TIME TO SOMEONE ELSE OR SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN ANONYMOUS INDIVIDUAL.

RUDE, SLANDEROUS, OR THREATENING REMARKS ARE CONSIDERED OUT OF ORDER.

THE BOARD PRESIDENT MAY INTERRUPT OR TERMINATE AN INDIVIDUAL STATEMENT WHEN IT IS TOO LENGTHY OR VIOLATES THE GUIDELINES. THE BOARD ENCOURAGES SPEAKERS TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN COPY OF THEIR REMARKS, AND COPIES MAY BE PLACED IN THE BOX THAT IS ON THE TABLE. THIS EVENING WE HAVE 7 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, AND I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT IN THAT 7 IN THOSE 7 FOLKS, WE HAVE A MOM AND DAUGHTER DUO, SO TECHNICALLY WE HAVE 8. WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE PREPARED TO MOVE UP ONCE THE OTHER PERSON HAS FINISHED OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE MICHELLE MARKS, AND SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY AND I DIDN'T SEE HER COME IN, BUT SHELLEY ALARCON.

IS SHELLEY HERE? OKAY.

SINCE SHELLEY IS NOT HERE, SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY TABITHA BATGATE. AND MICHELLE, IF YOU WOULD PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE MICROPHONE TO YOU SEE THE GREEN RING, OKAY? GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN. I COME TO YOU AS A CECIL COUNTY PARENT IN FAVOR OF A PUBLIC CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AS ONE OF MANY SUPPORTERS, I'M AWARE THAT OTHERS PLAN TO ADDRESS BUDGET CONCERNS AND THE CHARTER SCHOOL.

THEREFORE, I WILL NOT BE REPETITIVE.

INSTEAD, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO BENEFICIAL UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL'S CURRICULUM. THE INCLUSION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION AND THE EXCLUSION OF EXCESSIVE TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOMS. AFTER SPEAKING WITH DOZENS, DOZENS OF OTHER FAMILIES, I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE IN MY SENTIMENTS AND THAT THERE ARE MANY WHO BELIEVE THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL WILL BENEFIT OUR COUNTY. THIS MAJORITY IS OFTEN SILENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS MANY OF US REFRAIN FROM THE TOXICITY OF SCREEN-PROTECTED CONFRONTATIONS AND MODEL LIMITED SCREEN USE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WHILE I CHOOSE THIS VIEW AND LIMIT THE RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN MY HOUSEHOLD, I KNOW THAT MY CHILDREN ENTER A WORLD WHERE THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

CCCS AIMS TO RETURN TO A TRADITIONAL TEACHING MODEL THAT FOCUSES MORE

[01:50:01]

WHILE THERE ARE BENEFITS TO TECHNOLOGY, WHEN THIS TOOL GOES BEYOND AND BECOMES A CRUTCH, THAT IS WHEN EDUCATION SUFFERS.

LEARNING FROM ACTUAL HUMAN INSTRUCTORS AFFORDS OPPORTUNITIES TO FORM EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS AND LEARN FROM THE CRITICAL THINKING FEEDBACK OF TEACHERS, WHICH CANNOT BE MATCHED BY IMPERSONAL, APATHETIC SCREENS. THE QUALITY OF LEARNING ALSO INCREASES FROM THE ACT OF HANDWRITING, AS THIS RESULTS IN HIGHER COMPREHENSION THAN SIMPLY LISTENING AND TYPING. THE NEURAL PATHWAYS FORMED BY WRITTEN NOTE-TAKING AND PEN-TO-PAPER SKILLS PRACTICING ARE SIMPLY UNMATCHED. I WILL NOT ARGUE THAT THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE FOR TECHNOLOGY, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS WITHIN THE DAILY INSTRUCTION OF OUR STUDENTS. THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS SIMPLY PROPOSING THIS VIEW AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE TO THE MANY PARENTS WHO DESIRE IT. THE TRADITIONAL TEACHING MODEL OF THE CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL ALSO AIMS TO INCREASE THE DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE. THE CHARTER SCHOOL WANTS TO PROMOTE THE IMMENSE CAPACITY YOUNG MINDS HAVE FOR KNOWLEDGE ATTAINMENT BY INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING, PARTICULARLY LATIN AND SPANISH. THE MINDS OF CHILDREN ARE LIKE SPONGES.

AND IF THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN OUR SYSTEM TO BEGIN SETTING OUR STUDENTS UP AS BILINGUAL, THAT IS NO SMALL BENEFIT TO OVERLOOK. STUDYING FOREIGN LANGUAGES HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE BRAIN TO THEN HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS ON OTHER SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MATH. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVED MATH SKILLS AND COMPREHENSION, STUDYING LATIN OPENS THE DOORS TO NEARLY EVERY ROMANCE LANGUAGE, UNLOCKS THE ROOTS TO MEDICAL AND SCIENCE VOCABULARY, AND FURTHERS THE GRASP OF COUNTLESS GRAMMATICAL CONCEPTS.

IF WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE INCREASED LEARNING OUTCOMES THAT THIS UNIQUE EMPHASIS ON FOREIGN LANGUAGES WITHIN THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S PROPOSED CURRICULUM WILL AFFORD TO THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR COUNTY, THEN WE ARE LIMITING THEIR POTENTIAL.

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THE FUTURE OF CECIL COUNTY'S PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE SPEAKING OPPORTUNITY.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TABITHA BATHGATE, AND TABITHA WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LEAH IDO AND HER DAUGHTER.

GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS TABITHA BATHGATE. I AM BOARD PRESIDENT OF PROPOSED CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL. I AM HERE TODAY TO EMPHASIZE OUR COMMITMENT TO PARTNERING WITH CCP CS TO EXPAND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN CECIL COUNTY. WE ARE A TEAM COMPRISED OF PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANT A CLASSICAL EDUCATION OPTION THAT MEETS STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, BECAUSE NOT ALL CHILDREN LEARN THE SAME WAY. STUDENTS ARE UNIQUE AND THEIR EDUCATION SHOULD BE AS WELL.

WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL UNIQUE IS A TIME-TESTED CLASSICAL EDUCATIONAL MODEL WITH LIMITED PURPOSEFUL TECHNOLOGY USE, STRONG PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, AND HANDS-ON LEARNING THROUGH A GREENHOUSE AND MAKERSPACE.

STUDENTS WILL GET BACK TO THE BASICS WITH SIMPLE MATH AND CLASSICAL BOOKS, LEARN TO USE TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY, WHILE AN ENGAGED FAMILY CULTURE STRENGTHENS COMMUNICATION, SUPPORTS STUDENT SUCCESS, AND REDUCES BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. THE GREENHOUSE AND MAKERSPACE CONNECTS STUDENTS TO OUR AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE, TEACHING CREATIVITY AND RESPONSIBILITY WHICH WILL ORGANICALLY PROVIDE VALUABLE LESSONS IN CARING FOR SOMETHING BEYOND THEMSELVES. AS COMAR REGULATION 13A-02-10 STATES, SELECTION OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE BY RANDOM LOTTERY WHEN ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS EXCEED AVAILABLE SEATS. IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT A SELECTION BASED ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OR ANY OTHER FACTORS. WE WILL SERVE ALL STUDENTS FAIRLY, WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

SUCCESS WILL NOT BE MEASURED SOLELY BY TEST SCORES, BUT ALSO BY WHETHER EVERY STUDENT FEELS WELCOME, SUPPORTED, CHALLENGED, AND VALUED. WE ANTICIPATE THAT OPENING A CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY WILL ACTUALLY MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON DISTRICT FUNDING. THE REALITY IS THAT MANY FAMILIES HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN PRIVATE SCHOOL, HOMESCHOOLING, OR ONLINE OPTIONS. THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT WHETHER PARENTS WILL CHOOSE ALTERNATIVES, IT'S WHETHER THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION OPTION HERE WITHIN OUR COUNTY. I HOPE TO MAKE ONE THING CLEAR TODAY: OUR PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE EXISTING SCHOOLS OR TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM THEM. IT IS DESIGNED TO SERVE UNMET NEEDS AND BRING THOSE STUDENTS BACK TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTER OF OUR CHILDREN. WE HAVE BIG DREAMS, AND WE INTEND TO FULFILL THEM ALL. WE EXPECT AND ARE PREPARED FOR CHALLENGES. FAMILIES ARE NOT LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIMENT. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A LASTING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY. OUR COMMITMENT IS JUST NOT ABOUT OPENING A SCHOOL, BUT TO BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC ED INSTITUTION THAT WILL CONTINUE SERVING STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY

[01:55:01]

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL SHARE THE SAME GOAL.

WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN. IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, OUR TEAM IS READY, WILLING. JUST REACH OUT TO US ANYTIME.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEAH IDO AND HER DAUGHTER, AND SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY SEAN BRIM.

PERFECT. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? GREAT.

MY NAME IS LEAH IDO, AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC GAPS IN HOW THIS DISTRICT ENFORCES ITS BULLYING AND STUDENT SAFETY POLICIES. WHILE THIS ISSUE DIRECTLY IMPACTS MY OWN DAUGHTER, WHO HAS FACED SEVERAL BULLYING SEVERE BULLYING, VERBAL SLURS, PHYSICAL ASSAULT, AND SUBSEQUENT SUSPENSIONS FOR SELF-DEFENSE ACROSS THE SAME SCHOOL TERM THIS YEAR, THE BREAKDOWN IN POLICY ENFORCEMENT AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE ARE SEEING A REPEATED FAILURE TO PROTECT TARGETS OF BULLYING AND A TROUBLED PRACTICE OF PENALIZING PENALIZING VICTIMS WHO DEFEND THEMSELVES.

FURTHERMORE, STANDARD MANDATORY BULLYING RESPONSE PROTOCOLS ARE NOT BEING CONSISTENTLY EXECUTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AND COUNSELING STAFF WHEN INCIDENTS ARE REPORTED. THESE ARE NOT ISOLATED INCIDENTS EITHER.

THEY'RE A BROADER SAFETY CRISIS. IN 2024, I SAT BEFORE YOU AND TALKED TO YOU ABOUT MY THEN 5TH GRADER WHO WAS BULLIED SO BAD SHE WANTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE, AND SHE SAID IT TWICE. IN APRIL OF 2025, A 6TH GRADER AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL DOES TRAGICALLY DIE BECAUSE SHE COMMITS SUICIDE DUE TO BULLYING AT THE SAME SCHOOL. AND I'M SITTING HERE BEFORE YOU BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN SUSPENDED 3 TIMES FOR DEFENDING HERSELF. THE LAST TIME, WE TALKED TO SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 4 OR 5 TIMES OVER A WEEK, AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT IT BEFORE THE PHYSICAL FIGHT OCCURRED.

WHEN A STUDENT'S DISTRESS CALLS AND A COMMUNITY TRAGEDY OF THIS MAGNITUDE DO NOT RESULT IN IMMEDIATE, MEASURABLE INTERVENTION, WE MUST QUESTION THE DISTRICT'S OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT. I'M ASKING THIS BOARD FOR DIRECT ANSWERS ON THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMIC QUESTIONS: WHAT ARE THE DISTRICT'S EXACT MANDATORY BULLYING RESPONSE PROCEDURES? BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE LISTED IN THE CCPF STUDENT HANDBOOK.

AND WHAT MECHANISMS EXIST TO ENSURE ADMINISTRATORS FOLLOW THEM? BECAUSE CLEARLY THEY'RE NOT. WHY ARE VICTIMS FACING DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR SELF-DEFENSE WHEN ADVANCED WARNING HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO SCHOOL STAFF MULTIPLE TIMES? WHAT IS THE EXPLICIT TIMELINE FOR ENFORCING POLICY TRANSPARENCY PROTECTING TARGETED STUDENTS AND ENDING THE PRACTICE OF SUSPENDING VICTIMS. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE POLICY DICTATES PROTECTION, NOT ADMINISTRATIVE INACTION.

AND I'VE EMAILED TWO OF YOUR BOARD TWO OF THE PEOPLE SITTING AT THIS DESK TODAY THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AND I'VE ONLY HEARD FROM ONE, AND THAT WAS AFTER I HAD TO CALL MR. BRAD INGLE FROM THE STATE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE THIS BOARD AND EVERYBODY ELSE DID NOT DO A THING AGAIN FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.

THANK YOU.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS SOPHIA IDO. LAST YEAR, I LOST MY FRIEND TO SUICIDE DUE TO BULLYING.

AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR HER FAMILY, I WON'T BE SAYING HER NAME, BUT I'M SURE ALL OF YOU KNOW HER. BULLYING HAS AFFECTED MANY PEOPLE.

ROUGHLY 100% OF STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY BULLYING IN SOME WAY. 80% OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE BULLIED.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE 2 OUT OF 9 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT OR COMMIT SUICIDE THAN ANYONE ELSE. THIS YEAR, I GOT SUSPENDED FOR GETTING INTO AN ALTERCATION WITH ANOTHER STUDENT BECAUSE EVEN AFTER I REPORTED BULLYING MULTIPLE TIMES, THEY DID NOT HANDLE THE ISSUE UNTIL THE DAY I WAS HIT.

CHILDREN ARE TOLD TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BATTLES, AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY'RE TOLD THAT IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG OR NOBODY TAKES IT SERIOUSLY.

BULLYING ISN'T A JOKE, AND IF ONE PERSON WOULD WANT ME TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS, IT WOULD BE MY FRIEND WHO WAS AFFECTED BY BULLYING UNTIL HER DEATH.

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS BEING BULLIED, PLEASE SPEAK UP. EVERY REPORT TRULY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THE LAST THING I WANT TO ASK IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE TO GO TO FOR HELP. IF YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE THAT YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR ACTIONS, PLEASE CALL 988 OR SEEK HELP.

WE SEE YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SEAN BRIM FOLLOWED BY SHARON ROSENBERG.

I'M SEAN BRIM OF NORTHEAST.

I'VE BEEN AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRO FOR 27 YEARS, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE COMPUTING FIELD AS I HAVE THESE LAST FEW YEARS. I BELIEVE SOMEWHERE IN TONIGHT'S AGENDA THERE INCLUDED SOME HINTS ABOUT THE EXPENDITURES FOR COMPUTER HARDWARE HAVE GONE BEYOND THE MARGINS, AND IT'S NOW SUCH THAT IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF NEEDING THE BOARD OF ED ITSELF TO BE MADE AWARE OF IT. ONLY IN TIMES OF NATURAL DISASTER THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE SUPPLY CHAIN HAVE I EVER SEEN THE PRICES

[02:00:01]

THERE ARE FEW THINGS THAT COMPETE WITH WRITING FOR BEING THE MOST SATISFYING THING THAT I DO. IT IS APPLICABLE TO EVERYTHING WRITING HISTORY, WRITING TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, COMPUTING, THE LAW. MS. METCALF, YOU ARE ONE OF TOMORROW'S LEADERS TODAY.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO REITERATE MY PUBLIC STATEMENTS MADE LAST YEAR ABOUT YOUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, MR. HAMPTON. I AM JAMIE MARSHALL, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CECIL DEMOCRATIC CLUB, CO-WROTE LAST YEAR ONE OF THE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION SENT TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WHEN HE APPLIED FOR THE JOB. I SAW HIM IN ACTION LONG BEFOREHAND.

HE HAS DONE TIME AFTER TIME EXACTLY WHAT I'D HOPED, TO BRING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD ON HOW CCPS IS CARRYING OUT ITS BUSINESS. HE DOES THE HARD WORK OF ANALYZING THE BUDGET, ASKING PERTINENT QUESTIONS, AND AND BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC QUESTIONS THAT IN RETROSPECT MIGHT BE SELF-EVIDENT BUT DO NOT GET THE CHANCE TO BE ASKED. QUESTIONS NOT TO BE CUTTING, BUT TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, INSTRUCTIVE, AND ILLUMINATING. MR. HAMPTON EVEN HAS BEEN KNOWN TO ANTICIPATE SOME OF MY OWN QUESTIONS BEFORE I ASK THEM, AND THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.

MR. HAMPTON DOES EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WERE IN HIS SHOES. THE PEOPLE OF CECIL COUNTY WOULD DO WELL TO ELECT HIM OUTRIGHT. HE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HONOR TO THE COUNTY. MADAM PRESIDENT, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK.

SHARON ROSENBERG FOLLOWED BY OUR LAST SPEAKER, LINDSAY BERGMAN-DEVIS.

GOOD NIGHT. GOOD EVENING, ACTUALLY. I WILL BE SENDING AN EMAIL TO EACH OF YOU LISTING MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL, BUT TONIGHT, THIS.

THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL, IT TURNS OUT, WAS FIRST CONCEIVED BY FOUNDER CULVERSON BECAUSE OF A CONCERNING SCHOOL SITUATION INVOLVING HER GRANDSON, A SITUATION SHE FREQUENTLY FAMILY SPEAKS OF AND ONE WHICH IS DETAILED ON THEIR WEBSITE. TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MY GRANDSON, WITH HIS PARENTS' PERMISSION.

HE IS A LEVEL 1 AUTISTIC ADHD SECOND GRADER AT ELK NECK ELEMENTARY. HE STARTED PRE-K THERE BECAUSE IT WAS EVIDENT HE NEEDED SPEECH THERAPY AND PERHAPS OTHER SERVICES. HE STILL GETS SPEECH THERAPY.

AT ELK NECK, THEY BEGAN TESTING, WHICH HIS PARENTS FOLLOWED UP INDEPENDENTLY.

ELKNEK STARTED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, WHICH AGAIN HIS PARENTS CONTINUED, AND NOW HE GETS THERAPY ONCE A WEEK IN MIDDLETOWN TONIGHT, IN FACT.

I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS SERVICES AS I AM ONLY THE GRANDMOTHER, NOT THE LEGAL GUARDIAN, BUT I KNOW THE SCHOOL IS IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH HIS FOLKS, NOT JUST AT THE MANDATED IEP MEETINGS. I KNOW DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR THEY CHANGED HIS CLASS TO OFFER HIM A SLIGHT ACCELERATION IN CURRICULUM.

THEY OFFERED HIM ADAPTIVE PE AS AUTISTIC CHILDREN ARE USUALLY NOT ATHLETIC. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN IN SOCIAL STUDIES OR SCIENCE CLASSES WITH HIS CLASSMATES AS HE WAS PULLED FOR SERVICES. ONE OF THEM WAS FOR HANDWRITING. NEXT YEAR IT IS PLANNED FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY JOIN HIS CLASSMATES IN THESE TWO CLASSES.

RECENTLY, IN CONSULTATION WITH HIS PEDIATRICIAN, HE STARTED TAKING AN ADHD MEDICATION. THERE IS, OF COURSE, NO MEDICATION TO TREAT AUTISM. SO FAR, THE CHANGE IN HIS FOCUS HAS BEEN NOTICEABLE. HE IS CONSTANTLY READING CHAPTER BOOKS. HIS GRADE IN MATH WENT FROM A C TO AN A, AND HE WAS GIVEN A BUG AWARD THAT'S BROUGHT UP GRADE.

AT AN ASSEMBLY. HIS FOLKS WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THESE CHANGES. THE DAY AFTER THE ASSEMBLY, OUR DAUGHTER FOUND IN HIS PAPERS A SINGLE UNLINED SHEET WITH 3 SENTENCES CRAMMED AT THE TOP IN KIND OF AN ARCH. THE SENTENCES

[02:05:01]

I AM SO PROUD." PROUD, OF COURSE, WAS SPELLED WRONG.

TODAY EVERYONE IS MAD ABOUT SOMETHING, AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET THEIR SHARE OF THE IRE.

BUT MORE QUIETLY, THERE ARE FAMILIES CELEBRATING SUCCESSES IN THE SCHOOLS, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE SUCCESSES.

THEREFORE, I WANT PUBLICLY TO THANK THE WONDERFUL ELK NECK ELEMENTARY STAFF AND TO CONGRATULATE OUR GREATEST SON.

THANK YOU.

AND OUR LAST SPEAKER, LINDSAY BERGMAN-DEVIS.

MY NAME IS LINDSAY BERGMAN-DEVIS, AND I AM A FORMER TEACHER WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION FROM ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL'S APPLICATION AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW. I TOOK SOME TIME TO READ THROUGH IT AND FELT COMPELLED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH THE BOARD. WHILE THE PROPOSAL IS MARKETED AS A RETURN TO TRADITIONAL AND CHARACTER-BASED EDUCATION, A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM AND THE AFFILIATIONS OF ITS FOUNDING MEMBERS REVEALS A DEEPLY CONCERNING EXCLUSIONARY AGENDA. WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHO IS STEERING THE INITIATIVE.

BOARD SECRETARY KELLY SENGSTOCK AND BOARD TREASURER DONNA CULBERSON ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH MOMS FOR LIBERTY. THIS GROUP IS KNOWN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR CAMPAIGNS TO BAN BOOKS, SANITIZE HISTORY, AND DISMANTLE PROTECTIONS FOR LGBTQ STUDENTS. THIS AFFILIATION IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, COINCIDENCE.

IT'S A BLUEPRINT FOR THE SCHOOL'S DESIGN. THE SCHOOL'S CLASSICAL MODEL RELIES ON A HEAVILY EUROCENTRIC FRAMEWORK. IT ELEVATES A NARROW VIEW OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION WHILE MARGINALIZING THE HISTORIES, LITERATURES, AND VOICES OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

FURTHERMORE, THEIR STRICT LOW-TECH POLICY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ISN'T JUST ABOUT AVOIDING SCREENS. IT ACTS AS AN INFORMATION FILTER BY SEVERELY RESTRICTING INTERNET ACCESS AND DIGITAL RESEARCH.

THE SCHOOL SHIELDS STUDENTS FROM INDEPENDENT FACT-CHECKING, DIVERSE MODERN VIEWPOINTS, AND THE REALITIES OF THE MODERN WORLD.

FINALLY, THE PROPOSAL ASKS TO EXEMPT UP TO 35% OF ENROLLMENT SEATS FOR FOUNDING FAMILIES STAFF AND SPECIFIC LOCAL RESIDENTS.

THIS IS A MASSIVE LOOPHOLE DESIGNED TO CURATE THE STUDENT BODY.

IT TURNS A PUBLICLY FUNDED INSTITUTION INTO AN INCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE FOR A SPECIFIC IDEOLOGICAL GROUP RATHER THAN SERVING THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF CECIL COUNTY. PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS SHOULD FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE, AND DESIGNED FOR ALL STUDENTS. A CURRICULUM ROOTED IN EXCLUSIONARY POLITICS HAS NO PLACE IN OUR... I URGE YOU TO SEE THIS PROPOSAL FOR WHAT IT IS: A GRAB FOR FUNDING NEEDED BY EXISTING SCHOOLS BY PEOPLE WITH A POLITICAL AGENDA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

OKAY, THAT'S ALL OF OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING WITH US.

NEXT IS 5.11, THE ADOPTION OF OUR FY 2027 5.10, ADOPTION OF OUR FY 2027 BUDGET REQUEST OPERATING.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING. I THOUGHT WE DIDN'T.

YEAH, 5.11. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, MS. SOPA, TO COME FORWARD.

TO SHARE A LOT OF STUFF.

A LOT.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. LAWSON, LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS, AND GUESTS. SO WE WILL START WITH OUR OPERATING BUDGET PROPOSAL. SO THE FIRST PAGE HERE, WE HAD A BUDGET THAT YOU APPROVED IN FEBRUARY, ON FEBRUARY 25TH TO SUBMIT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL. AT THAT TIME, THAT BUDGET PROPOSED A $10 MILLION INCREASE IN THE COUNTY ALLOCATION OVER THE FY26 BUDGET. AND SO THIS BUDGET THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TONIGHT CLOSES THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE REQUESTED VERSUS WHAT WAS ALLOCATED.

SO THIS PAGE HERE SORT OF SUMS UP THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE THE BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED APPROVED AT THE FEBRUARY 25TH BOARD MEETING UNTIL NOW. SO YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL DIFFERENCE HERE, ABOUT $3.9 MILLION.

THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ALLOCATION IS A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION. SO THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS THE FACT THAT OUR STATE NUMBERS, WHEN THEY CAME IN, OUR FINAL NUMBERS FROM THE STATE WERE A LITTLE BIT LOWER BASED ON SOME CHANGES IN ACTUAL ENROLLMENT AND ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION.

THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT AN EVEN $4 MILLION. SO YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED AT A PREVIEW IN APRIL. SO WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE COPIER LEASE SAVINGS AND SOME

[02:10:02]

TITLE IV FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS INSTEAD OF THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET.

AND THEN SOME ACTUAL REAL CALCULATION WITH THE ACTUAL POSITIONS REDUCTION REDUCED AND THE ACTUAL FIXED CHARGES REDUCED. SO AT THE TIME IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE PRESENTED TO YOU POTENTIAL POSITION REDUCTIONS AND THOSE COSTS, WE WERE ESTIMATING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE EXACT NAMES. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME MORE ACCURATE CALCULATION, HAVING EXACT NAMES WHEN WE WERE DOING THESE REDUCTIONS AND EXACT SALARIES, WHICH HELPS US TO BE A LITTLE MORE EXACT.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE REDUCTION FROM WHAT YOU APPROVED ON 225 IS ABOUT A $3.9 MILLION REDUCTION.

JUST WANT TO, WELL, POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS. BUT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, REDUCTION OF ROUGHLY $250K, AND THIS ISN'T A CRITICISM, I'M JUST POINTING THIS OUT THAT CCPS IS BEING FORCED TO ACCEPT MORE RISK TO DEFER THAT MAINTENANCE, IF YOU WILL, ON THE COMPUTER.

AND THAT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE DEFER MAINTENANCE ON BUILDINGS AND ALL OF THAT.

SO WE'RE KIND OF IT'S SMART, BUT WE'RE ALSO HOPING NOTHING HAPPENS TO THOSE COMPUTERS SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO RETAIN FUNCTIONALITY AND THE ADMINS USING THEM WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THEIR JOB.

CORRECT. THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, WHAT IS BEING REDUCED? THOSE ARE CONTRACTED RELATED SERVICES, AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF OUR DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH DR. MILLER TO LOOK AT TRENDS IN WHAT WE SPENT IN THE PAST ON THOSE RELATED SERVICES.

SO WHEN WE'RE PAYING AGENCIES TO COME IN AND REALLY TRY TO BRING THIS BUDGET MORE IN IN LINE WITH WHAT WE WHERE WE PROJECT IT WILL BE. IT'S KIND OF A MOVING TARGET BECAUSE JUST LIKE THE CONTRACT THAT YOU APPROVED TONIGHT FOR THERAPY, NURSING, AND OTHER SERVICES, WE WORK WITH A VARIETY OF VENDORS TO TRY TO GET THE BEST PRICES FOR PEOPLE, BUT THE PRICES ARE HIGH. SO WE JUST TRY TO DO MAYBE A BETTER CALCULATION OF WHERE WE THINK WE WILL REALLY FALL FOR FY '27.

UNDERSTOOD. AND AGAIN, THAT'S IT'S NOT A CRITICISM.

YOU'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS AND THERE'S RISK IN THAT, AND IF WE NEED MORE SERVICES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, WELL, IT'LL BE A SHELL GAME WITH THE BUDGET. CORRECT.

WITH THE SCIENCE AND ATHLETICS GOING TO TITLE IV, SO IT'D BE MOVING TO THE RESTRICTED BUDGET, THE RESTRICTED BUDGET FOR TITLE IV IS ABOUT $330,000, BUT IN A LATER SLIDE, IT'S BEING REDUCED BY ROUGHLY $30,000. AND IF YOU ADD THE AMOUNT THAT'S BEING TRANSFERRED OVER, IT'S MORE THAN WHAT'S IN THE TITLE IV BUDGET.

SO WE'RE COUNTING ON TITLE IV CARRYOVER. SO AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR IN OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, WE HAVE CARRYOVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND SO WE'VE CALCULATED CARRYOVER. SO THIS IS A 1-YEAR FIX FOR THE SITUATION. USING CARRYOVER FUNDS IN ADDITION TO THE NEW FUNDS.

SO WHEN WE WHEN YOU SAY CARRYOVER, WITH RESTRICTED FUNDS, DO THEY HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE? OR CAN YOU AS LONG AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE THEM FOR THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE? SO THEY RUN ON A DIFFERENT TIMELINE. SO REMEMBER, THE END OF SEPTEMBER IS THE END OF THE TIME TO USE THIS YEAR'S, AND THEN TYPICALLY THERE'S ANOTHER YEAR TO USE THOSE CARRYOVER FUNDS.

SOMETIMES IT VARIES. ANY TITLE GRANT IS A FEDERAL GRANT, AND THAT HAS A DIFFERENT TIMELINE COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE USED TO THE JUNE 30, JULY 1. TITLE FEDERAL MONEY IS A SEPTEMBER 30, OCTOBER 1 TIMELINE.

BUT FOR THIS YEAR, EVEN THOUGH IT WON'T BE IN THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET, THE RESTRICTED BUDGET WILL PICK UP THE FAIR HILL NATURE CENTER FIELD TRIPS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATHLETICS. CORRECT.

THANK YOU.

SO THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET, THE SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.

AGAIN, THIS IS BY STATE CATEGORY, WHICH IS THE WAY THAT WE MUST PRESENT AND APPROVE THE BUDGET. SO YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR FROM FY26 TO FY27 IS $3.4 MILLION.

THESE ARE THE POSITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAST SLIDE THAT I JUST SHOWED.

THERE'LL BE A LITTLE CLEARER PICTURE OF OUR CHANGE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT WHEN WE GET TOWARD THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, AND I THINK THERE'LL BE A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT SLIDE.

BUT THIS JUST SHOWS YOU FOR THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET, IT INCLUDES 1,881.3 POSITIONS.

AGAIN, BROKEN DOWN BY STATE CATEGORY ACROSS THE TOP,

[02:15:01]

VARIOUS THERE ARE MULTIPLE SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS THAT SORT OF SOME OF THEM WENT UP AND DOWN BASED ON THE AWARD, BUT THE TOTAL NET INCREASE IN THE SPECIAL ED GRANTS IS ABOUT $66,000. THE BIG AMOUNT HERE IS THE PRE-K EXPANSION AWARD OF $1.1 $1 MILLION, AND THAT IS FOR 3 ADDITIONAL PRE-K CLASSROOMS. SO WHILE MS. SOPER, CAN YOU I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME. CAN YOU EXPLAIN FOR THE BOARD AND THE AUDIENCE HOW WE ANTICIPATE THE PRE-K EXPANSION GRANT TO POSSIBLY IMPACT THE NUMBER OF POSITION REDUCTIONS WE'RE REALIZING AT THE MOMENT? SO THE PRE-K EXPANSION GRANT FOR 3 CLASSROOMS PROVIDES A PRE-K TEACHER, A SPECIAL EDUCATOR, AND A PARAPROFESSIONAL. SO THAT'S 9 POSITIONS, 6 TEACHING 3 SUPPORT STAFF POSITIONS.

THOSE POSITIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET. THOSE POSITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED YET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE DR.

LAWSON MENTIONED IN OUR CLOSED SESSION A NOGA, NOTICE OF GRANT AWARD. AND SO WHILE WE'RE INCLUDING IT IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER THAT WE WILL RECEIVE THESE, UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET THE NOTICE OF AWARD, IT WOULD BE NOT WISE TO ACTUALLY PLACE PEOPLE INTO THESE POSITIONS AND GIVE THEM THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR THE NEW YEAR.

BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE 9 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS BASED ON THIS GRANT. SO YOU CAN SEE THE OVERALL INCREASE IN THE RESTRICTED BUDGET IS ABOUT $1.5 MILLION FROM WHEN WE MET IN FEBRUARY.

THESE ARE THE SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OF THE RESTRICTED FUNDS. SO ABOUT A $1.7 MILLION INCREASE FROM WHAT WAS APPROVED IN FY 2016. $126 MILLION, MOST OF THAT BEING THE PRE-K EXPANSION GRANT. THESE ARE THE POSITIONS WITHIN THE RESTRICTED BUDGET, $108.6 MILLION. AGAIN, THESE ARE THE STATE CATEGORIES, THESE ARE THE OBJECTS, DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS. THESE POSITIONS ARE ALL DEFINED OR DETERMINED BY THE GRANT AND WHAT'S APPROVED AS THE GRANT HAS BEEN BUDGETED AND THE BUDGETS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THIS IS A TOTAL RESTRICTED BUDGET SUMMARY. SO THIS TAKES ALL THE GRANT AMOUNTS ALONG WITH THE SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRANTS.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE FOR THE APPROVED BUDGET OR THE REQUESTED BUDGET $17.4 MILLION, AND IT'S A $2.9 MILLION INCREASE OVER FY '26. SO WHEN YOU COMBINE YOUR UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED BUDGETS TOGETHER, IT'S OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET, $284 MILLION, AND THIS REPRESENTS A $7.4 MILLION INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. THESE ARE THE TOTAL POSITIONS FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET.

AGAIN, STATE CATEGORIES ACROSS THE TOP, OBJECTS FOR POSITIONS DOWN THE SIDE.

AND I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE WILL GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION COMPARING YEAR TO YEAR. THIS IS OUR POSITION CHANGE SUMMARY WHERE WE COMPARE FY26 TO FY27. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AFTER WE APPROVED THE FY26 BUDGET, OVER THE SUMMER AND IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THERE WERE 37.7 POSITIONS THAT WE WERE OVER BUDGET IN FY26 TO ADDRESS STUDENTS WITH IEPS' NEEDS OR CLASS SIZE, OR EVEN THE ADDITION OF THE READ AND LEAD GRANT, WHICH ADDED LITERACY COACHES.

SO THOSE POSITIONS COME FROM A VARIETY OF AREAS. SO WHILE YOU SEE HERE THAT THE REDUCTION FROM YEAR OVER YEAR IS 66.3 POSITIONS, WHEN YOU ADD THOSE 37.7 THAT WE WERE OVER BUDGET, IT'S A REDUCTION OF 104 POSITIONS. WE HAD ESTIMATED IN FEBRUARY THAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD BALANCE THE BUDGET WITH 101, SO WE WERE CLOSE.

ADMINISTRATORS, WE REDUCED 14 ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, 30 SUPPORT STAFF, 60 TEACHERS.

[02:20:06]

THAT WAS KNOWN, GETTING THEM UP. SO THIS COMING YEAR WE'RE GOING TO BE UP TO 60. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE KNOWNS. CAN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WENT INTO THAT AND HOW IT DIDN'T PLAY OUT AND WHY WE'RE LOSING POSITIONS NOW? SO THE BIGGEST EFFECT THE BIG THE BIGGEST THING THAT AFFECTED OUR BUDGET WAS OUR REDUCTION IN OUR COMPENSATORY EDUCATION NUMBER. SO OUR STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS SO WITH A REDUCTION OF ALMOST 750 STUDENTS, WE LOST $3.6, $3.7 MILLION. AND THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE PREDICTED COMING, AND IT WAS A TREND ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST FOR CECIL COUNTY. AND SO WE'RE NOT I'M NOT REALLY SURE, DO PEOPLE NO LONGER QUALIFY, ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO QUALIFY MORE STRINGENT? BUT FAMILIES, SO THOSE NUMBERS FOR COMPENSATORY ED ARE BASED ON DIRECT CERT NUMBERS. SO THAT'S NOT US GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE FAMILY AND DOING A CALCULATION.

THAT'S DO THEY QUALIFY FOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. SO ARE THEY APPLYING FOR THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS? ARE THEY QUALIFYING FOR THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS? SO THAT WAS A BIG HIT TO OUR BUDGET. ANOTHER ITEM THAT WAS A BIG HIT TO OUR BUDGET WAS JUST OVERALL REDUCTION IN ENROLLMENT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, 100 AND SOME STUDENTS PUTS A DENT IN YOUR BUDGET WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS FOR BLUEPRINT. SO WE KNEW YES, WE KNOW AHEAD OF TIME BY STATUTE WHAT YOU EARN PER STUDENT FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, AND I THINK IT'S HITTING HOME FOR EVERYONE RIGHT NOW, IS JUST THE COST OF EVERYTHING IN GENERAL, THE COST OF INSURANCE.

WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE, WORKERS' COMP INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE, THE COST OF UTILITIES, ALL THE EVEN THE COST OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE PURCHASING. SO THE LAPTOPS AND CHROMEBOOKS ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CHIPS AND WHY WE'RE REDUCING THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PURCHASING, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MORE IN THE BUDGET. SO I THINK WE'RE GETTING HIT ON ALL SIDES. SO IT'S LESS FUNDING, EVERYTHING'S COSTING MORE.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SLIDE? WE DO ANTICIPATE SO THE VACANCIES WERE KIND OF A MOVING TARGET AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO FILL THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, TEACHERS WHO ARE REDUCTION IN FORCE VERSUS THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES. SO WE ARE FEELING GOOD ABOUT THE AFTER WE PLACE TEACHERS WHO ARE IN POSITIONS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN ELIMINATED IN ONE SCHOOL BUT MOVED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL, SO THEY STILL HAVE A POSITION BUT THEY NEED TO BE MOVED TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE POSITION.

BUT WE'RE FEELING CONFIDENT RIGHT NOW THAT ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THAT REDUCTION IN FORCE LIST, THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEM WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK. ONE OF THE THINGS WITH OUR POSITIONS, AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT MAKES IT REALLY CHALLENGING.

I BELIEVE 7 OF THEM ARE SECONDARY MATH POSITIONS. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF PEOPLE, THE CONDITIONAL FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS, THEN YOU START TO LOOK AT WHO'S CERTIFIED OR WHO CAN WE PUT IN A SECONDARY MATH, A HIGH SCHOOL CALCULUS CLASS, FOR EXAMPLE. SO RIGHT NOW, AND THE REASON THAT IT'S TAKING THAT IT'S SLOW, IT'S A VERY TEDIOUS AND METICULOUS PROCESS BECAUSE WE NEED TO LOOK AT SENIORITY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT CERTIFICATION, AND IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY MONEY GETS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY. SO THIS IS OUR FY '27 OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST.

YOU CAN SEE A COUNTY ALLOCATION OF A LITTLE OVER $111 MILLION. STATE THIS IS RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED $150 MILLION. OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS BEING ABOUT $12.8 MILLION. THIS IS OUR OTHER REVENUE. SO THIS IS INTEREST REVENUE ON INVESTMENTS, MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE, OPEB.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT HERE TO NOTE THAT TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET, WE ARE USING $3 MILLION IN OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR RETIREE HEALTHCARE, AS WELL AS $5 MILLION FROM OUR FUND BALANCE, FOR A TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST OF $284.4 MILLION.

[02:25:08]

AND I THINK WE'RE LOSING SOME BASIC NEEDS WHEN WE RIFF, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF 30 TEACHERS, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER GOING TO BE EMPLOYED BY US. MAYBE WE'LL GET BACK 9 THROUGH PK EXPANSION. MAYBE MORE RESIGNATIONS OCCUR, SO THEREFORE MAYBE THOSE PEOPLE CAN BE CALLED BACK. THERE'S A LOT OF MAYBES THERE THAT COULD HAPPEN. BUT THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THAT LOSE THEIR JOBS, EVEN IF IT'S ONE. I THINK HAVING SOMEBODY LOSE THEIR JOB AND HAVING A NICER GRADUATION, I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. THE GRADUATION WAS AMAZING. IT WAS REALLY NICE. I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE LONGER, BUT MORE SPACE, BUT IT WAS REALLY NICE.

BUT I SAID TO MY I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH MY KIDS WHEN TALKING ABOUT VACATIONS SOMETIMES. I REALLY, REALLY LOVED WHEN WE WENT TO HAWAII, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD IT EVERY YEAR. I WOULD LOVE THEY DESERVE IT. I'D LOVE TO BRING THEM TO HAWAII EVERY YEAR, BUT I JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT.

SO I THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE GRADUATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN REALLY NICE AT OUR SCHOOLS.

IT'S BEEN GOOD. AND IF THAT $35,000 DIFFERENCE OF COST GOES TOWARDS SAVING ONE TEACHER, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. I'VE ASKED TO LOOK AT OTHER NICE-TO-HAVES, AND I'LL BRING UP ANOTHER ONE THAT'S COME UP RECENTLY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH A FEW TEACHERS. WE HAVE A PICNIC COMING UP. I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME HAVING A PICNIC AND CELEBRATING THE YEAR WHEN WE KNOW THAT JOHN OR TINA OR MARY JUST LOST THEIR JOB.

IT'S NICE. IT HELPS WITH CULTURE. THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES ABOUT IT. I GET IT.

BUT WHEN YOU I WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IF MY COWORKER WHO'S DONE A GREAT JOB AND IS A GOOD EMPLOYEE LOST HIS JOB AND THEN WE HAD A COMPANY PARTY, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, IT'S NOT A MASSIVE EXPENSE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THESE LITTLE ONES THAT ARE NICE TO HAVES. FIELD TRIPS, I'VE SAID WE'VE MOVED THAT TO ANOTHER BUDGET RECENTLY SO THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET GRANT MONEY FOR THAT.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT I HAVE A HARD TIME VOTING FOR THE BUDGET FOR ONE REASON, AND MY VOTE IS A NO RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT I'M SAYING IT OUT LOUD.

BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE ALL OF THE NICE-TO-HAVE REDUCTIONS WE COULD. THE BIGGEST GLARING ONE IS GRADUATION, AND I KNOW I'VE SAID THAT 01,000 TIMES, AND I KNOW I'VE SAID THE NICE-TO-HAVES VERSUS NEED-TO-HAVES A FEW TIMES TOO.

BUT IT'S REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGING AT THE MOMENT WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE, LIKE, A REAL PERSON, NOT A REDUCTION IN A POSITION WHERE WE JUST DON'T HIRE SOMEBODY, BUT A REAL PERSON THAT DOESN'T HAVE A JOB TOMORROW. I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO CONTINUE WITH SOME OF THESE, AND THERE'S A FEW GLARING ONES, BUT THERE'S MORE.

AGAIN, I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING, NOT FRIVOLOUS. I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS WAY MORE THAN WE'RE ALREADY GIVING THEM. I THINK WE CAN GIVE THEM MORE AND WE SHOULD, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT. AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT, NICE-TO-HAVES GO AWAY. AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SAID THAT BEFORE WE VOTED, BECAUSE I'M SURE THERE'D BE QUESTIONS AS TO WHY IT WOULD BE ENOUGH.

YOU SAID THERE'S SOME OTHER GLARING ONES. WHAT ARE THEY? THERE'S LITTLE ONES LIKE TUESDAY WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING THAT'S OFF CAMPUS.

WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT OFF CAMPUS. THAT MIGHT BE A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLAR EXPENSE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO A RESTAURANT TO HAVE OUR BOARD MEETING ON TUESDAY, OUR RETREAT. WE DON'T HAVE NICE-TO-HAVE MONEY.

THAT'S NICE TO HAVE. WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. I'D BE FINE MEETING HERE AND EATING PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.

THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE, THE SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT RIGHT NOW. IT FEELS LIKE A PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SITUATION. AND I KNOW IT'S A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS HERE, $1,000 THERE, $20,000 HERE.

AND IN THE SCHEME OF THE GIANT BUDGET, WHEN YOU LOOK AT $285 MILLION, $20,000 IS REALLY VERY LITTLE.

BUT IF YOU SAY THAT 5 TIMES, IT'S A PERSON. AND SO I WOULD GO AS FAR AS EVEN THOSE LITTLE THINGS LIKE US GOING OFFSITE ON TUESDAY. ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF EXPENSES. WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE I THINK IT'S CATASTROPHIC. IT FEELS CATASTROPHIC. WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE. AND WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, EVEN IF IT MEANS EATING PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DURING A BOARD MEETING. I WILL BRING UNCRUSTABLES AND I WILL FIND SOME GLUTEN-FREE ONES IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T EAT GLUTEN OR PEANUT BUTTER. WE'LL FIND THOSE. BUT IT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, I THINK PEOPLE AT HOME HOME, SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL OF US THINK THAT THERE'S LIKE THIS HALF-MILLION-DOLLAR EXPENSE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE'RE LINING SOMEBODY'S POCKETS.

IT'S NOT THAT. THAT IS CRAZY

[02:30:01]

WITH THE GRADUATIONS, THERE'S NOTHING GOING FORWARD.

THOUGH, IF IT WERE TO OCCUR AT AN EXTERNAL SITE, THOSE CONTRACTS AREN'T UNTIL NEXT FALL, RIGHT? IN THE BUDGET, BUT NO CONTRACT YET.

THEY'RE PLACEHOLDERS RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET. IS THERE A PLAN THEN TO ASK THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, GET WITH THEIR SENIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHAT DO THEY WANT? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ANTICIPATE, YES.

DO WE ANTICIPATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF SCHOOLS THAT WOULD SAY, YES, I WANT TO HAVE IT AT AN OFFSITE, A LESSER AMOUNT? YEAH, I MEAN, THE PRINCIPALS WERE PRETTY ADAMANT IN OUR MEETING LAST FRIDAY MORNING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, SO YEAH. THOSE 5 FOR SURE.

BOW MANOR I CAN'T SPEAK TO AT THE MOMENT, BUT THE OTHER 5, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THE COST DIFFERENCE? BETWEEN $25,000 AND $30,000 IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO LAND ONCE WE GET ALL THE RECEIPTS AND INVOICES IN FROM THE SCHOOLS. THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE, THE NET DELTA.

YEAH, THE ONLY THING THAT'S TRICKY ABOUT THAT TOO IS WHEN WE'RE INCLUDING THE HOME SITE GRADUATIONS, WHEN WE INCLUDE THE SALARIED EMPLOYEES' TIME.

THEY'RE GOING TO GET PAID ANYWAY WHETHER THEY'RE BUILDING A STAGE FOR GRADUATION OR MOVING CHAIRS OR THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I'LL SPEAK FOR THEM. THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY HAVE THINGS TO DO. IT'S ABSOLUTELY IN THEIR CONTRACT.

ABSOLUTELY, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, RIGHT.

BUT THAT EXPENSE WOULD OCCUR WHETHER THEY'RE SETTING UP A GRADUATION OR THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER ELSE THEY NEED TO DO. THE ONE THING I DO THINK IS WORTH SAYING THOUGH WITH THE GRADUATION WHERE WE HAD IT IS THE SAFETY. AND IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP, EVERYONE GOING THROUGH METAL DETECTORS AND THEN IT'S INSIDE. EVEN IF WE WENT THROUGH METAL DETECTORS AT OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, IF SOMEONE HAS IT OUT FOR PEOPLE, YOU CAN BE IN THE WOODS AT PERRYVILLE AND WITH THE LOWEST, CHEAPEST HUNTING RIFLE, IT'S A POP SHOT FROM THE WOODS AT PERRYVILLE.

SO I DO THINK SAFETY IS A CONSIDERATION THERE.

I MEAN, I WOULD SAY SAFETY IS A PRIORITY. WE MAKE IT A PRIORITY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND I THINK SAFETY HAS TO BE A PRIORITY, NOT JUST A CONSIDERATION.

SO THAT'S MY OPINION.

AND I THINK WE'RE GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE.

WELL, NOT TO MINIMIZE SAFETY, BUT I'LL ASK ONE QUESTION.

WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR A FOOTBALL GAME AT THOSE STADIUMS. THE SAME THING COULD OCCUR AT THOSE FOOTBALL STADIUMS. SO WHY IS IT THAT GRADUATION IS THE ONE EVENT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT HAPPENING? I THINK IT'S AN ARGUMENT TO BE. WE HAVE METAL DETECTORS AT THE FOOTBALL GAMES. AND WE CAN HAVE THEM AT GRADUATION.

WE HAVE ENOUGH REACH.

YOU HAVE TO STAFF THEM. WE ALWAYS HAVE YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THE $284 MILLION BUDGET IS ABOUT A $28,000 EXPENDITURE. I'M ONLY GOING TO SIT HERE QUIETLY FOR SO LONG. I AGREE. I WILL PUSH BACK. THIS HAS BECOME ABOUT GRADUATION. EXACTLY.

LET'S MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.

SO WE'RE TALKING A $30,000 DIFFERENCE.

IT'S 0.02 OF 1%. I DID THE MATH, RIGHT? BUT LISTEN, IT'S ALWAYS IN THE BOARD'S ERVIEW TO DENY A CONTRACT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE FOR GRADUATIONS. AND WE COULD DO THAT, AND WE WILL BE SITTING HERE HAVING THE EXACT SAME CONVERSATION.

AND WE'RE GOING TO INTERVIEW 17 AND 18-YEAR-OLDS AND ASK THEM IF THEY WANT IT. AND THOSE STUDENTS THAT THE STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERVIEWED DON'T REALIZE THE CONSEQUENCE OF A POSSIBLE PERSON LOSING THEIR JOB. THEY JUST CAN'T THINK THAT WAY. THEY WOULD NEVER DO THAT.

YOU'RE WHERE I STAND ON GRADUATIONS. I'VE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THAT. I DON'T BACK AWAY FROM IT. IT IS THE BOARD CAN VOTE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, CONVINCING ME ISN'T THE ISSUE.

I AM RIGHT NOW MY VOTE IS NO, AND I'M VOTING NO FOR THIS FOR THAT REASON. AND IT'S A HILL THAT'S WORTH DYING ON.

OKAY, MR. DAVIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING JUST TO ADD IT TO THE RECORD HERE.

THE ANNUAL SCHOOL BUDGET THAT WE WILL VOTE ON SHORTLY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND CONSEQUENTIAL VOTES WE MAKE AS BOARD MEMBERS.

AS BOARD MEMBERS, OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY ARE TWOFOLD.

TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE WHILE ALSO ENSURING THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT SPENDING REMAINS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES DO NOT ALWAYS ALIGN, AND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS HAS FORCED US TO CONFRONT SOME PAINFUL REALITIES.

DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE HAVE EXAMINED NUMEROUS ALTERNATIVES, ASKED DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, REVIEWED EXPENDITURES LINE

[02:35:02]

LET ME BE CLEAR. IF THE BOARD VOTES TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET, IT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE IN FAVOR 100% WITH EVERY ASPECT OF IT.

WHILE THERE ARE NO PERFECT SOLUTIONS BEFORE US, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS BUDGET PROVIDES US WITH A REASONABLE PATH FORWARD. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT EACH OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS APPROACHED THIS DECISION WITH THE SERIOUSNESS THAT IT DESERVES. WHILE WE MAY NOT ALL ARRIVE AT THE SAME CONCLUSIONS, I KNOW THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER OF THIS, OF THIS PRESTIGIOUS BOARD WILL BE CASTING THEIR VOTE BASED ON THEIR CONSCIENCE AND WITH SINCERE COMMITMENT TO DOING WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR STUDENTS AT CCPS. I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK OUR TEACHERS, SUPPORT STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, FAMILIES, AND OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK DR. LAWSON, MS. SOPER, OUR CFO, AND THE ENTIRE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND EFFORT IN PUTTING TOGETHER A BUDGET THAT REPRESENTS THE COMMITMENTS, PRIORITIES, AND MISSION OF CCPS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SHARED GOAL. PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST THANK OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND ALL OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND COORDINATORS HAVE GONE OUT AND TAKEN A LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET. EVERY SINGLE PERSON WENT AND THEN LOOKED AT THEIR BUDGET TO SEE WHERE THEY COULD CUT.

AND THEY CAME BACK, AND YOU GUYS DID HAVE DONE SO MUCH WORK OVER AND OVER TO COME AND TRY AND GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN. SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BEFORE WE OPEN THIS UP FOR A VOTE. PLEASE, NO MATTER WHAT IS VOTED, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE DO APPRECIATE YOU.

AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS. THANK YOU.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, NO ONE WANTS A REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE. IT'S WE DON'T WANT IT. THEY DON'T WANT IT.

WE'VE TRIMMED THE FAT. THIS IS THE BUDGET. WE TRIMMED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT BEFORE WE SENT IT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND NOW WE'RE TRIMMING IT EVEN MORE. AND WHEN 80-SOME PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH OF THAT 18% THAT YOU CAN TRIM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE RISING COSTS OF EVERYTHING.

SO I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT WE THAT WE WANT TO REDUCE WORKFORCE, IT'S JUST I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER OPTION LEFT.

OKAY. DR. LAWSON, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR US? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $284,452,326, WHICH INCLUDES A COUNTY APPROPRIATION OF $111,386,031 AND A FUND BALANCE DESIGNATION OF $5 MILLION.

YOU'VE HEARD DR. LAWSON'S RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. I'LL SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED. OKAY, MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT WE HAVE OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.

MS. SOPA CONTINUES.

OUR CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST INCLUDES TWO PROJECTS. WE HAVE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE NORTHEAST MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL ONGOING PROJECT AND A PARKING LOT REPLACEMENT AT RISING SUN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THESE WERE THE PROJECTS APPROVED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE COUNTY LEVEL. KEEPING IN MIND HERE THAT IT'S FOR NORTHEAST MIDDLE, NORTHEAST HIGH FOR NEXT YEAR, IT'S $6 MILLION THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED FROM THE STATE, THAT THE COUNTY IS FRONT FUNDING THE STATE $11.9 MILLION, AS WELL AS PROVIDING $20.5 MILLION IN COUNTY BONDS FOR THIS PROJECT FOR FY27.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A COMPLETE PARKING LOT REPLACEMENT AT RISING SUN ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE AMOUNT OF $980,000 FOR A TOTAL CAPITAL BUDGET OF ABOUT $39.4 MILLION.

QUESTIONS FOR MS. SOPA? DR. LAWSON, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $39,448,365, WHICH INCLUDES A COUNTY APPROPRIATION OF $21,526,365 AND A COUNTY

[02:40:05]

FOR DR. LAWSON, IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

IT'S A GOOD THING YOU WERE A MATH TEACHER AND CAN READ THOSE NUMBERS. AND NEXT WE HAVE OUR DEBT SERVICE.

SO OUR DEBT SERVICE, THESE ARE THE BONDS THAT THE COUNTY SELLS TO FUND OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

AND SO THE COUNTY PAYS THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THIS DEBT FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT WE MUST REPORT IT AS PART OF OUR BUDGET AND AS PART OF OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

SO THESE NUMBERS COME FROM COUNTY GOVERNMENT. AND SO FOR FY27, FOR THE PROJECTS FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE DEBT THAT'S OWED FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE COUNTY WILL PAY $8 MILLION ABOUT $8.4 MILLION TOTAL IN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST.

SO $2.8 MILLION OF THAT IS INTEREST, $5.6 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL, AND THAT IS THEIR PAYMENT ON LONG-TERM BOND OBLIGATIONS TO FINANCE OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

DR. LAWSON, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR US? I DO.

QUESTIONS FOR MS. SOPER AT ALL? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE COUNTY'S TOTAL APPROPRIATION OF $8,480,216 FOR THE YEAR 2027 DEBT SERVICE BUDGET.

I'VE HEARD DR. LAWSON. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS OUR FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET UPDATE.

AND MS. SOPA AGAIN.

SO HERE WE'RE SHOWING THE INCREASE IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE, FROM THE MONTH OF MAY, $143,286. PAGE 2 SUMMARIZES THIS INCREASE IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE. YOU CAN SEE A DONATION FROM THE FOUNDATION IN RESTRICTED OTHER REVENUE FOR $1,123. HERE WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, GRANTS RESTRICTED STATE REVENUE. SO ONE THING I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THE SYSTEM OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THE ESG GRANT WAS ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS RESTRICTED REVENUE, FEDERAL REVENUE, WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED TO US. AND IT HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY MSDE THAT IT IS STATE REVENUE. SO WE REDUCED OUR FEDERAL REVENUE AND INCREASED OUR STATE REVENUE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTED STATE REVENUE IS $157,000 THERE'S A CURSOR THERE THAT'S MAKING IT HARD TO SEE $157,076, AND THEN THIS REDUCTION FOR FEDERAL REVENUE. SO THESE INCREASES AND REDUCTIONS ON THIS PAGE TIE INTO THE TOTALS ON THE FIRST PAGE. AND I'M SORRY, I MISSED THE BOTTOM.

AND THESE ARE TWO SCHOOLS USING STUDENT ACTIVITIES FUNDS FOR PROJECTS. SO AT PERRYVILLE HIGH, A BASEBALL FIELD FENCE, AND AT RISING SUN HIGH, A SCORER'S TABLE FOR VOLLEYBALL AND BASKETBALL GAMES. THE NEXT PAGES HAVE THE REPORTS THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU. AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH. GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. KEEP IN MIND THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ONE PAY IN JUNE, WE DO PROCESS FOUR SUMMER PAYS.

SO FOR TEACHERS OR OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE 10-MONTH EMPLOYEES, AND THE END OF JUNE, JUNE 30TH IS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT THEY GET PAID THROUGH AUGUST, SO WE DO PROCESS FOUR PAYROLLS. THEY'RE PROCESSED AS PART OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IN JUNE, BUT THE EMPLOYEES DO NOT RECEIVE RECEIVE THOSE PAYCHECKS UNTIL JULY AND AUGUST. SO THERE IS STILL SOME WORK TO DO IN SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. SOFA? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE OPERATING BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR $143,286 AS PRESENTED. DR.LAWSON HAS MADE A MOTION.

NO, HE'S MADE A

[6. Upcoming Events]

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

AND LAST ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IS OUR UPCOMING EVENTS.

FRIDAY, THANKFULLY, IS THE LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS, BUT WHO'S COUNTING? TUESDAY WE DO HAVE OUR BOARD WORKSHOP, AND ON THE 19TH, SCHOOLS AND OFFICES ARE CLOSED FOR THE CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH, AND WE WILL BE BACK HERE ON JULY 8TH FOR ANOTHER BOARD OF ED MEETING AT 5:30.

AND IT IS 8:14 AND MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.